Southern Rail: Emergency incident reported in Chichester

Rail passengers travelling between Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton faced significant disruption on Saturday morning (May 23), after emergency services responded to an incident at Chichester railway station.

Southern Rail first alerted passengers at 10.17am, warning that services running to and from Chichester would be delayed, revised or temporarily halted while emergency teams dealt with the situation.

Passengers were advised to remain on trains if stopped between stations and not attempt to leave carriages unless instructed by staff.

The operator stressed the dangers of walking on the tracks, particularly in areas powered by the railway’s live electric third rail system.

In its initial statement, Southern Rail said teams were 'doing everything they can', to help passengers continue their journeys, while urging customers to check live journey planners before travelling.

By 10.25am, the company confirmed that all lines at Chichester had reopened.

However, trains were forced to pass through the station at reduced speed, with some services terminating earlier than normal to help restore the timetable.

Passengers were told to expect delays of between 10 and 15 minutes and to continue checking service updates throughout the day.

Despite lines reopening, disruption persisted into the afternoon.

At 12.02pm, Southern Rail said services between Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton were still experiencing delays, with customers again advised to allow extra travel time.

The disruption was finally declared over at 1.30pm, when Southern Rail confirmed that no further trains would be affected.

Passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more were reminded they may be eligible for compensation through the operator’s Delay Repay scheme.