Chasing the Class 455 Trains on Their Farewell Charter Tour

Published on: 24 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 1 Jan, 2026

Despite the farewell charter trains on Sunday (December 21) marking the end of the the Class 455 electrical multiple units, some were to be seen on normal duties at Guildford railway station on Tuesday (December 23).

Class 455 train at Guildford railway station on Tuesday, December 23.

The smartly turned out unit pictured above and below was one of those used on the charter trains.

Just as well, as scores of railway fans who were not on Sunday’s tour could be seen at stations along the route, including Guildford, taking photos and video footage.

The roundel on the side of the cab marking the Class 455’s farewell.

On behalf of South Western Railway, PR firm, The Romans, has issued a report on the charter trains, saying… Nearly 1,000 rail enthusiasts gathered on Sunday for a final opportunity to travel on some of Britain’s oldest operational trains — South Western Railway’s iconic Class 455 fleet, which first entered service more than 40 years ago in 1983.

The photo includes Rail Minister Lord Hendy and Lawrence Bowman, managing director of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, who joined nearly 1,000 train enthusiasts to bid farewell to South Western Railway’s Class 455s.

The charter ran a nine-hour round trip from London Waterloo across the South Western Railway network, visiting Guildford along the way.

Click here for our previous story.

The press release continues… With the initial ticket release seeing 400 tickets snapped up in only 15 seconds, as more than 9,000 enthusiasts attempted to get them, a second train was provided to meet demand. Tickets were priced at £45.50, with all profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children.

TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois in the cab of one of the Class 455 trains

Francis Bourgeois, who has amassed nearly 80 million likes for his railway content on TikTok, and has more than three million followers on Instagram, joined the tour.

He said: “South Western Railway’s Class 455s mean an enormous amount to me and to so many people who’ve grown up with them, so being part of this farewell tour was incredibly special.”

South Western Railway colleagues who have worked on the trains for the last 43 years also joined enthusiasts to say goodbye. One of the trains was driven by Mark Bawden, who joined British Rail in June 1980, while guards Stephen Roberts and Mac Ferlance, who joined the railway in 1979 and 1983 respectively, were also aboard the special services.

Passengers on one of the charter trains – one of them brought along his model of a Class 455!

And, according to the press release, the farewell tour came as research reveals the UK’s love of trains – with almost one in 10 Brits (8%) revealing themselves as trainspotters, part of a wider 49% of Brits with a unique hobby. For more than a third (34%) of train enthusiasts, journeys and experiences are their favourite thing about trainspotting while an equal number say they like the nostalgia and historic element.

Lawrence Bowman, managing director of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex Route, said: “Our Class 455 farewell tour has proven just how big the railway enthusiast community is and shows how far the trainspotting hobby has come over the decades. It’s grown from writing down names and numbers to competing to be the top track basher!

“We were very pleased to see so many enthusiasts join us on Sunday, as each ticket sold means more money for our three chosen charities. While we know these enthusiasts will miss what are now ‘retro’ trains, we’re looking forward to rolling out more of our Arterio trains, with all their modern features, to give our customers the quality of service they rightly expect.”

Finally, scores of train spotters were out on Sunday at stations where the charter trains passed through, taking photos and filming them – some uploading their footage on to YouTube.

Some even ‘chased’ the trains going to various stations to photograph and film them. Examples you’ll find on YouTube include Epsom, Leatherhead, Haslemere, Milford, Witley and Guildford railway stations.

Here’s one example (Purple Trains YouTube channel), with Guildford station featured – especially if you skip to the end of the video!

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