Chichester to London: 1h36 direct, £6,168 a year

Chichester has a direct train to London Victoria in 1 hour 36 minutes, and in the morning peak it runs twice an hour. That is the fast option, and it is worth knowing that the fast option does not go the way most people expect: it leaves the coast at Barnham and heads inland up the Arun Valley, so it reaches Gatwick Airport in 1 hour 2 minutes on the way.

An annual season ticket on that route costs £6,168. Everything below was checked on 9 August 2026 against the live National Rail timetable and current fares.

The fast morning trains

These are the Monday morning departures from Chichester to London Victoria, taken from the National Rail timetable for Monday 10 August 2026. All are direct Southern services.

The pattern is half-hourly at nine and thirty-nine minutes past, and almost every one of those trains does the trip in the same 1h 36m. Off-peak and at weekends the service thins out and slows down: the Sunday afternoon trains take 1h 49m.

The route, and why Gatwick is so close

The 07:09 calls at Barnham, Horsham, Littlehaven, Crawley, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon and Clapham Junction. That is the shape of the whole fast service. It runs east along the coast for one stop, turns north at Barnham up the Arun Valley line, and then joins the Brighton main line at Three Bridges.

For anyone flying, that is the practical headline. A single train, no changes, Chichester to the Gatwick terminals in just over an hour, at any time of day the fast service runs.

What it costs

Season tickets. These are the current prices for Chichester to London Victoria. The “via Three Bridges” version is the cheaper one and covers the fast route above; the “any permitted route” version costs more and lets you come back along the coast through Brighton or Hove if you want to.

Walk-up fares. On a weekday, the fares shown for those morning departures were an Anytime Day Single of £42.50 and an Anytime Day Return of £76.90 via Three Bridges. From the 08:09 the cheapest return drops to an Off-Peak Day Return of £43.90, and from the 09:09 a Super Off-Peak Day Return of £25.10 appears. In other words, waiting an hour after the last peak train roughly thirds the cost of a day return.

The arithmetic on the season ticket is straightforward. At £6,168 a year against a £76.90 Anytime Day Return, the annual ticket pays for itself in about 80 return journeys, which is roughly four days a week for twenty weeks. If you commute three days a week or fewer, a Flexi Season or individual advance tickets are worth pricing against it before you commit.

The Waterloo alternative

If your destination is closer to Waterloo than Victoria, there is a second route west through Havant.

• 07:03 from Chichester, arriving Waterloo 08:54. One change at Havant (arrive 07:18, depart 07:32), then South Western Railway to Waterloo. 1h 51m.
• 07:35 from Chichester, arriving Waterloo 09:30. Same pattern via Havant. 1h 55m.
• 08:03 from Chichester, arriving Waterloo 09:55. 1h 52m.

The Havant route costs more on walk-up fares, at an Anytime Day Single of £46.90 against £42.50 via Three Bridges, and it adds about fifteen minutes. It is worth it only if the last leg of your journey at the London end saves you more time than that. You can also reach Waterloo on the direct Victoria train by changing at Clapham Junction, which the 07:09 does in 1h 53m.

Using the station

Chichester station sits on Southgate, a five-minute walk from the Cross at the centre of the city. It has:

• 202 parking spaces, six of them accessible.
• Ticket machines and a staffed ticket office.
• Sheltered waiting areas, seating, help points and CCTV. There is no public Wi-Fi.
• Level access from the main entrance to the platforms, with tactile warnings on all platforms in use.
• Bicycle storage, and bicycle hire.

Because the platforms are level with the entrance, the station is one of the more straightforward on the West Coastway line for anyone with a pram or a wheelchair. If you are driving to the station, note that the council’s city-centre car parks charge for long stays and the station car park is separate from them.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the train from Chichester to London take?

The fast direct service takes 1 hour 36 minutes to London Victoria and runs twice an hour through the morning peak. Sunday services are slower, at 1 hour 49 minutes.

Which London station do Chichester trains go to?

London Victoria, direct, on Southern. You can also reach London Waterloo in about 1 hour 51 minutes by changing at Havant onto South Western Railway, or by changing at Clapham Junction off the Victoria train.

How much is a season ticket from Chichester to London?

£6,168 a year via Three Bridges, or £592.20 a month and £154.20 a week. Adding a Zones 1 to 6 Travelcard takes the annual price to £7,732.

Can I get to Gatwick Airport directly from Chichester?

Yes. The fast London Victoria train calls at Gatwick Airport, 1 hour 2 minutes from Chichester, with no change.

Is there parking at Chichester station?

Yes, 202 spaces including six accessible bays. The station car park is run separately from Chichester District Council’s city-centre car parks.

What is the cheapest way to get to London from Chichester?

Off-peak. The cheapest walk-up return shown on a weekday morning was a £25.10 Super Off-Peak Day Return from the 09:09, against £76.90 on the 07:09. Advance tickets booked ahead for a specific train are usually cheaper again.

Sources

• National Rail timetable, Chichester to London Victoria for departure times, journey times, calling points and walk-up fares, checked for Monday 10 August 2026.
• National Rail timetable, Chichester to London Waterloo for the Havant route.
• Trainline season tickets, Chichester to London Victoria for weekly, monthly and annual prices.
• National Rail station information, Chichester for parking, access and facilities.
• Southern operates the direct service.

Timetables and fares change. Check the operator before you travel, particularly at weekends, when engineering work on the Brighton main line regularly diverts or replaces the Victoria service. Checked on 9 August 2026.

More Chichester local information: house prices, roadworks and travel, planning news and things to do in Chichester.