South Western Railway will bid farewell to its long-serving Class 455 trains with a special tour on Sunday 21 December, ahead of their retirement at the end of the year. The units, a familiar sight on routes linking towns such as Guildford, Twickenham and Windsor with London Waterloo, are being replaced by the operator’s new Arterio fleet.

The ‘Class 455 Farewell’ tour is being organised in partnership with the Branch Line Society to acknowledge the fleet’s service to millions of daily commuters and its significance within the modern history of Britain’s railways. The route will take in key suburban destinations including Epsom and Kingston, as well as rarer sections such as the District line branch between East Putney and Wimbledon and Haslemere on the Portsmouth Direct Line.

A total of 400 tickets will be made available at £45.50 each, going on sale via the Branch Line Society’s website at 11am on Monday 10 November. Proceeds will be donated to three charities: The Alex Wardle Foundation, Macmillan, and The Railway Children.

Neil Drury, South Western Railway’s Engineering and Infrastructure Director, 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 21 December.”

Seventy Class 455 trains were built between 1982 and 1985 at British Rail Engineering Limited for services across South West London, Berkshire and Surrey, entering passenger service on 28 March 1983. They are now being phased out as part of a modernisation programme that will see 90 new Arterio trains deployed across the suburban network.

The new 10-car sets are already operating more than 300 services a day and will eventually serve 98 stations, offering over 50% more capacity than the trains they replace. Features include Wi-Fi, power sockets, real-time information screens, accessible toilets and air-conditioning.

The final tour route remains subject to confirmation shortly before the event, with updates to be published by the Branch Line Society.

Image: South Western Railway