Trains remain in service after 'farewell' tour

Trains that first launched in the 1980s and were due to have been taken out of service to much fanfare, including a huge ticket-only retirement party, are still being used to cover shortages across South Western Railway (SWR) services.

The operator ran Class 455 farewell tours in December, with around 9,000 enthusiasts paying £45 each and profits split between three charities.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands old rolling stock is still being used to cover shortfall when the new trains are unable to get off the blocks, notably on the Hampton Court to Waterloo route.

SWR said it had always planned to keep some Class 455 trains as part of a contingency plan.

Demand for the farewell tour was so high that a second train was put on for the nine-hour tour, which ran across the SWR network.

The Class 455s are due to be replaced by SWR's new Arterio trains, but have been seen on some routes in Surrey in January - including on the Hampton Court and Woking routes.

A spokesperson for SWR said: "The Class 455 fleet of trains was withdrawn from our timetable at the end of 2025.

"A small number were retained for resilience purposes, to cover any eventuality that may affect the trains we use on our suburban network."

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