Commuters faced traffic chaos last night when level crossing barriers jammed.
The fault at the Lyminster level crossing, near Littlehampton, meant the barriers became stuck in the down position at 6.06pm last night (FRI).
Sussex Police were called to the scene to redirect the traffic which was backed up more than a mile each side of the crossing.
Matt Wood, of Calceto Lane, Lyminster, said: "There were cars everywhere and the police were telling people to turn around as they were getting to the crossing.
"It took me half an hour to do a five-minute journey."
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "The trains are running on time and the police are down there managing the traffic.
"Our maintenance man was there in about 20 minutes trying to fix the fault. I understand the barrier is stuck in the down position."
The problem, which was down to a faulty power pack, was rectified by 2am today.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article