Because of the rural situation of the new factory the railway operated a special daily train from Brighton for the workforce.
In 1913, L. B. Billinton, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, presented proposals to the LB&SCR board to close the Brighton works and concentrate all locomotive building and repair at Lancing, but the advent of World War I in 1914 put an end to this plan.
The works continued to operate after the nationalisation of British Railways (BR) in 1948, and gained a reputation for its efficiency and industrial harmony.
In 1962, efforts to rationalise BR's manufacturing capacity resulted in the decision to close Lancing in favour of Eastleigh railway works.
Many of those concerned felt the decision to close Lancing rather than Eastleigh was for political rather than economic reasons, due to Eastleigh being a marginal Parliamentary constituency in the 'sixties that the Government of Harold Macmillan was fearful of losing, whilst Lancing fell within a 'safe' Conservative Parliamentary seat.