18/05/2026
Road gives way to rail in Chichester in May 1990 in this John Locke view taken from the station footbridge. 4-CIG 1713 heads east along the coast in the direction of Worthing and Brighton. Stopped at the level crossing is former London Transport Red Arrow AEC Swift/Merlin MBA601, at the time operating for Westrings Coaches of West Wittering.
The Merlin was sold to Hants and Sussex in 1992, running with them for four years before being sold for scrap. The facelifted CIG, in Network SouthEast livery, was withdrawn in 2004, after nearly 40 years in service.
In the background is the former Southdown bus garage which has been on this site since 1956. Interestingly, Stagecoach has two depots in places called Chichester – this one in “Chit-chister”, Sussex, and the former tram and trolleybus premises in “Chi-chester”, South Shields.
