Farewell event for fleet of 40-year-old trains

A total of 70 Class 455 trains came into service in 1983

A farewell event for commuter trains which are being phased out in Surrey is set 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.

A total of 400 tickets will go on sale for a special charter service which will stop at places including Epsom and Haslemere on Sunday 21 December.

Neil Drury, the company's engineering and infrastructure director, said: "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."

He added: "We know there are a lot of enthusiasts out there who will be sad to see our classic red trains go."

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 charities The Alex Wardle Foundation, Macmillan and The Railway Children are set to benefit from the event.

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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