Farewell tour for 40-year-old Surrey train fleet
South Western RailwayA farewell event for commuter trains which are being phased out in Surrey is taking place to benefit 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 Sunday's event, which passes through places including Epsom, Guildford and Haslemere, sold out in 15 seconds, the company said.
In response to the "unprecedented demand", SWR and the Branch Line Society said they would run a second train.
Lawrence Bowman, managing director of SWR and Network Rail Wessex Route, said they have been "amazed at the level of interest".
The money raised will go towards the charities Macmillan, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children.
South Western RailwayA 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. Ninety trains, costing £1bn, were ordered.
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