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The railway station that 'burned brightly' but briefly

Simon Furber,in Singletonand
Cash Murphy,South East
Middleton Press Railway staff at the former Singleton station. The image is in black and white.Middleton Press
Singleton Station, designed by architect TH Myres, was opened in 1881 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway

A former railway station opened in the South Downs in 1881 was once a destination for royalty and racegoers who flocked to Goodwood Racecourse.

However, by 1935 the final passenger service had passed through Singleton Station, with freight use lingering until 1953.

Local historian Tim Weeks said the station, which has now been turned into a cycling and walking trail, was built with very esteemed company in mind.

"They wanted the Goodwood traffic...[and] they wanted the Prince of Wales, Bertie, later Edward VII. That was the prize," Weeks told Secret Sussex.

'Hugely impressive building'

Despite the questionable merits of building a train station for a village of fewer than 300 people, Weeks said its opening by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway created plenty of excitement.

"It was a hugely impressive building which would have had a massive impact on the lives of everyone in this area, because it gave the ability for people to be able to go to Chichester without having to walk," he said.

Beyond this, people could also travel to Midhurst, Portsmouth, Brighton, and London, while Edward VII used the route for his trips to the West Dean Estate.

The ghost station in the South Downs

However, a train service needs regular passengers to be sustainable and travel habits were changing.

Buses had begun to lure away train passengers by the 1920 and motorcars, which "Bertie was one of the earliest adopters of", also played their part.

SDNPA Sam Moore An overhead view of the restoration work on Centurion Way, which passes through where the former Singleton station is. Green fields can be seen either side of Centurion Way, and a green sign for Singleton station has been preserved.SDNPA Sam Moore
The trail, which is an extension of the Centurion Way, follows the old Singleton Station line

The station survived on school trains and occasional excursions until 1935, when time was called on passenger journeys.

"It burned brightly, but only for a short while," Weeks added.

Middleton Press A steam train at the old Singleton station. The image is in black and white.Middleton Press
The station boasted four platforms, a subway, and two signal boxes

Henry Potter, who moved to the area in 1955 , said his father's job was to remove the old track after trains stopped passing through the station.

While the station was intact when his family arrived, years of non-use left it in "a pretty sore state" and the line itself eventually closed in the 1990s.

However, the station has now been turned into a new trail which is an extension of the Centurion Way as part of a renovation project.

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