South Western Railway’s (SWR) Class 455 trains, which have served passengers across parts of London and the South East for more than 40 years, will be retired by the end of the year.
The trains have carried millions of passengers between London Waterloo and destinations including Guildford, Twickenham, and Windsor since first entering service in March 1983.
To mark the end of the fleet’s service, SWR and the Branch Line Society will run the ‘Class 455 Farewell’ tour, a special charter service on Sunday, December 21.
The one-day tour will follow a route through well-known commuter areas such as Epsom and Kingston, and will also include less commonly used sections of track, including the District Line branch from East Putney to Wimbledon and Haslemere on the Portsmouth Direct Line.
Just 400 tickets will go on sale for the event, priced at £45.50 eachthrough the Branch Line Society’s website at 11am on Monday, November 10.
Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Alex Wardle Foundation, Macmillan, and The Railway Children.
A total of 70 Class 455 trains were built by British Rail Engineering Limited between 1982 and 1985, and have become a familiar sight for commuters across South West London, Surrey, and Berkshire.
They are being replaced by SWR’s new Arterio trains, part of a £1 billion investment in the company’s suburban fleet.
The new 10-car Arterio trains, of which there will be 90 in total, are already operating more than 300 services per day.
They are designed to improve capacity, comfort, and accessibility on the network, serving 98 stations in and around South West London.
They can carry more than 50 per cent more passengers than the old Class 455s, helping to meet growing demand on some of the busiest commuter routes in the country.
The Arterio trains also feature modern amenities including air conditioning, Wi-Fi, real-time passenger information, accessible toilets, and charging points at every seat.
Neil Drury, engineering and infrastructure director at SWR, said: “While customers are getting used to the many benefits of our new fleet of Arterio trains, we know there are a lot of enthusiasts out there who will be sad to see our classic red trains go.
“The farewell tour will be a fitting tribute to these trains, which have been a staple of our railway and worked incredibly hard for more than four decades.
“Best of all, the proceeds will go to three specially selected charities.
“We look forward to welcoming ticket holders on board on Sunday, December 21.”
