The Railway

As a market town, it was important for Chichester to have good transport links with the rest of the country, and particularly London.

The first railway line to Chichester was opened in 1846, as an extension of the London and Brighton South Coast Railway (LBSCR), which had previously run from Brighton to Ford, and linked with the London to Brighton Railway at Brighton station.

In 1847 the development continued with the opening of a direct line from London to Portsmouth. The Chichester to Havant section opened on March 15th and the Havant to Portsmouth section on June 14th.

In 1859 a rival railway company, London and South West Railway (LSWR), opened a direct line from London to Havant via Guildford, which cut across the top of Chichester District. The new line meant passengers and goods could travel from London to Portsmouth without using LBSCR trains.

In 1881, LBSCR opened a branch line from Chichester to Midhurst. This line was later extended to Petworth and Pulborough, where it met the London-Portsmouth line. Midhurst had a second railway line, which extended west to Petersfield, joining the LSWR line.

In August 1897 Chichester was linked to Selsey by a light railway known as the Selsey Tram. This carried passengers from Chichester to Selsey via Donnington and Sidlesham.