page_title: Midhurst Railways
section_title: The Chichester Line
hierarchical_section_title: Midhurst Railways / The Chichester Line
caption_attribution_description: Pre Grouping railway junction around Bricklayers Arms &amp; New Cross in S.E. London. Also juctions at Midhurst, West Sussex.
context_page_description: The Midhurst Railways were three Branch lines which were built to serve the market town of Midhurst in the English county of West Sussex. The three lines radiated from the town; south to Chichester, west to Petersfield, and east to Pulborough.
context_section_description: Originally attempted in the 1860s, this was opened after much difficulty on 11 July 1881 and was also operated by the LB&SCR. Surveyed and designed by the company's Chief Engineer Frederick Banister, it was built to a very high standard with a double track loading gauge as far as Lavant, North to Midhurst the three lengthy tunnels were single bore and with a few exceptions the various bridges were built for single track. The stations were designed by T. H. Myres, in his standardized Domestic Revival style, each formed like a large "Country House". Lavant and Cocking each had two platforms, while the grand Singleton station was built with four platforms and long sidings for the Goodwood Racecourse traffic. However, it all proved to be too much for the traffic involved. As part of the line's opening, Midhurst was extended and rebuilt in the same architectural style.
  The passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 July 1935 by the Southern Railway, but freight services remained until 19 November 1951 when the section of line between Midhurst and Cocking was withdrawn due to damage by a washout of an embankment, leading to a train crashing into the resulting hole. The freight services to Cocking and Singleton were withdrawn on 28 August 1953 but Lavant lasted until closed to general goods on 3 August 1968 and sugar beet traffic in January 1970. The line was cut back before Lavant station to serve gravel workings from 1972 but this was in turn withdrawn finally in 1991. The line between Lavant and the junction with the mainline is now a cycle path, called the Centurion Way
  The station buildings at Cocking, Singleton and Lavant all survive, but in private ownership. Very similar buildings also designed by Myres are still in railway use at Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes and Kingscote on the preserved Bluebell Railway.
caption: A 1908 Railway Clearing House map of lines around Midhurst (inset)
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