Ford Station Webcam, West Sussex

The Ford Station Webcam is a Railcam UK camera at Ford station on the West Coastway Line in West Sussex, hosted by the Gaugemaster model shop that stands beside the station. It looks along the double track on the Chichester side of the platforms, where the rails sweep around a long curve between trees, scrub and open fields toward a signal on a tall post. The on-screen labels give the direction of travel: trains for Chichester run away from the camera into the curve, and trains for Worthing come toward it. White lineside equipment cabinets on yellow frames sit to the left of the track, and a lattice mast rises on the right. The trees change the picture through the year, from full summer green to the bronze and copper that was already in the scrub in early October.

About Ford Station

Ford opened on 8 June 1846 as part of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway’s line along the Sussex coast, and it sits 97.5 kilometers (60 miles 48 chains) down the line from London Bridge by way of Redhill. Today it has two platforms. There used to be three, but one was closed and is now abandoned and overgrown. Southern runs every service that calls here, mostly with Class 377 electric units. East of the station the line climbs over the high banks of the River Arun, and a busy level crossing sits at that end of the platforms.

The village is small and the area around it is largely rural, yet the station handled about 117,000 entries and exits in 2024/25, plus around 103,000 interchanges by passengers changing trains. Ford is a civil parish in Arun district, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south-southwest of Arundel. The parish also takes in HM Prison Ford, an open prison roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) south of the station on the site of the old Ford airfield. That airfield opened during the First World War, was badly damaged in the Battle of Britain, then served as a base for RAF intruder squadrons, and closed in November 1958.

Gaugemaster, one of the larger model railway businesses in the country, has its headquarters right beside the line and is a Community Station Partner at Ford. It partnered with Railcam UK in May 2023 to put live video of the West Coastway Line next to its shop onto its own website. Railcam UK runs cameras at mainline and heritage railway sites across the UK.

Weather and Climate in Ford

Ford lies only about 4 meters (13 feet) above sea level, a short way inland from the Channel coast, and the nearest Met Office climate station at Bognor Regis, about 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) to the southwest, describes a mild climate. On the 1991 to 2020 averages, January afternoons reach 8.4 C (47 F) and nights fall to about 3.4 C (38 F). July days average 21.3 C (70 F), with nights around 14.1 C (57 F). Roughly 734 millimeters (28.9 inches) of rain falls in a typical year, and the station records about 1,918 hours of sunshine annually.

Spring warms slowly, with April afternoons near 13 C (55 F) over the last ten years, and by early summer the trees on both sides of the curve are in full leaf and frame the track tightly. Autumn is the wettest stretch: October averaged about 109 millimeters (4.3 inches) of rain between 2016 and 2025, and afternoons still reach around 15 C (59 F). In winter the bare branches can open up more of the fields beyond the line, low sun throws long shadows across the rails, and with January nights averaging 3.4 C (38 F), a clear morning can leave frost on the ballast.

Things to Do Near Ford Station

The first stop for most rail fans is next door. Gaugemaster’s shop traded as The Engine Shed for more than 50 years, then reopened as Model Giant on 8 September 2025 after a nine-month refurbishment. It stocks model railways alongside plastic kits, Scalextric, diorama supplies and collectables. Arundel, a short hop to the north-northeast, has its castle above the town and the WWT Arundel Wetland Centre beside the River Arun just north of it, with boat rides, a reedbed boardwalk and eight wildlife hides. The wetland centre opens 364 days a year.

South of the village, Climping Beach is a largely undeveloped stretch of shore between Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, reached along a country lane that ends at the beach car park. Its dunes and vegetated shingle are part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, valued for coastal habitats and wintering birds, so it suits a walk with binoculars. Trains from Ford follow the coast east toward Worthing and Brighton and west toward Chichester, which makes the station an easy base for a day along the Sussex shore.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more British railways and the Sussex coast, try these live cams next.

• Crewe Station Webcam
• Dawlish Webcam
• Brighton i360 Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ford Station located?

Ford station is in the village of Ford in Arun district, West Sussex, in southern England. It is on the West Coastway Line between Brighton and Southampton, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south-southwest of Arundel and 97.5 kilometers (60 miles 48 chains) by rail from London Bridge via Redhill.

What can you see on the Ford Station Webcam?

The camera looks along the double-track main line on the Chichester side of the station as it curves away between trees and fields toward a signal, with equipment cabinets on the left and a lattice mast on the right. Trains heading for Chichester run away from the camera, and trains for Worthing come toward it.

What is the weather like in Ford, West Sussex?

Mild for Britain. At nearby Bognor Regis, January averages 8.4 C (47 F) by day and 3.4 C (38 F) at night, while July reaches 21.3 C (70 F). Rain totals about 734 millimeters (28.9 inches) a year, and autumn is the wettest season.

Which trains stop at Ford station?

Southern operates all the services that call at Ford, mostly with Class 377 electric multiple units. The station has two platforms on the West Coastway Line, which links Brighton with Southampton along the south coast.

Who runs the Ford Station Webcam?

The camera is part of the Railcam UK network and runs in partnership with Gaugemaster, the model railway company whose headquarters and shop sit beside the station. The stream is broadcast on the Railcam Live1 YouTube channel.

Can you see the River Arun on the Ford Station Webcam?

No. The camera faces the Chichester direction, while the River Arun crossing and the level crossing are at the east end of the station, out of shot. The view stays on the curve of track, the signal and the trees and fields on either side.

What is the model shop next to Ford station?

It is Gaugemaster’s shop, known for more than 50 years as The Engine Shed and reopened as Model Giant in September 2025.

Source: Railcam UK and Gaugemaster