| Re: South Western Railway train farewell tour sold out in just 15 seconds - Dec 2025 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:23, 27th December 2025 |     |
From the BBC:
Farewell train tour raises more than £45,000
A farewell event for commuter trains being phased out has raised more than £45,000 for three charities.
South West Railway's (SWR) red Class 455 fleet has been in service for 42 years and is being replaced by new Arterio trains.
Tickets for the event, which took place on 21 December and saw two Class 455s run through places including Guildford and Epsom, sold out in 15 seconds, SWR said previously. Originally scheduled to involve one train, "unprecedented demand" for the event led SWR and the Branch Line Society to add a second train for "hundreds of excited enthusiasts", it said.
New Arterio trains are being brought in by South Western Railway
SWR said more than 900 people attended the farewell tour and the money raised will go towards the charities Macmillan, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children.
A total of 70 Class 455 trains were built by British Rail Engineering Ltd and came into service on suburban routes in March 1983.
The fleet runs through Surrey, Berkshire and south-west London into Waterloo Station, and will be retired by the end of the year, the rail company said.
The first of SWR's fleet of Arterio trains carried passengers between London Waterloo and Windsor in January 2024.
A farewell event for commuter trains being phased out has raised more than £45,000 for three charities.
South West Railway's (SWR) red Class 455 fleet has been in service for 42 years and is being replaced by new Arterio trains.
Tickets for the event, which took place on 21 December and saw two Class 455s run through places including Guildford and Epsom, sold out in 15 seconds, SWR said previously. Originally scheduled to involve one train, "unprecedented demand" for the event led SWR and the Branch Line Society to add a second train for "hundreds of excited enthusiasts", it said.
New Arterio trains are being brought in by South Western Railway
SWR said more than 900 people attended the farewell tour and the money raised will go towards the charities Macmillan, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children.
A total of 70 Class 455 trains were built by British Rail Engineering Ltd and came into service on suburban routes in March 1983.
The fleet runs through Surrey, Berkshire and south-west London into Waterloo Station, and will be retired by the end of the year, the rail company said.
The first of SWR's fleet of Arterio trains carried passengers between London Waterloo and Windsor in January 2024.
| Re: South Western Railway train farewell tour sold out in just 15 seconds - Dec 2025 Posted by Surrey 455 at 21:08, 3rd December 2025 | |
I'm still using them on my morning commute. The evening return is either a 450 (horrible train - Cramped 3x2 seating) or the new 701. What's good about the old 455s is that the seat width is slightly wider than the 701 and much wider than the 450. No toilets in the 455, 4 in an 8 carriage 450 and 2 in a 10 carriage 701. In Summer 2026 I will welcome the AC on the newer trains.
| Re: South Western Railway train farewell tour sold out in just 15 seconds - Dec 2025 Posted by bradshaw at 18:17, 3rd December 2025 | |
I gather that the second one has also sold out!
| South Western Railway train farewell tour sold out in just 15 seconds - Dec 2025 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:05, 3rd December 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Tickets to a farewell event for commuter trains which are due to be phased out in Surrey were sold out in just 15 seconds, according to South Western Railway (SWR).
The tour on 21 December will bid farewell to SWR's Class 455 trains, which have served some of Berkshire, South West London and Surrey's busiest stations since 1983.
The company said more than 9,000 customers tried to buy just 400 tickets for a special charter service which will stop at places including Epsom and Haslemere.
In response to the "unprecedented demand", SWR and the Branch Line Society said they would run a second train as part of the farewell tour.
Lawrence Bowman, managing director of SWR and Network Rail Wessex Route, said they have been "amazed at the level of interest".
The company added a limited number of tickets for the second train went on sale on Tuesday, and were "also expected to sell out".
"Knowing there are so many enthusiasts who want to be part of this special occasion, we're pleased to run a second train," Mr Bowman added.
The money will go towards Macmillan, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children, SWR says.
SWR says the Class 455 trains will be retired by the end of 2025 as the company rolls out more of its Arterio trains.
Tickets to the farewell event cost £45.50.
A total of 70 Class 455 trains were built by British Rail Engineering Ltd and came into service on suburban routes in March 1983.
During the farewell event, the first train will leave at 09:32 GMT, followed by the second train at 10:35 GMT.
