Retired with fanfare, but still running: Class 455 trains remain on SWR duties

Trains introduced in the 1980s and publicly marked for retirement with a high-profile send-off are continuing to operate on South Western Railway services, helping to plug gaps caused by ongoing rolling stock shortages.

SWR formally celebrated the withdrawal of its Class 455 fleet in December, staging farewell tours that attracted significant interest from rail enthusiasts. Around 9,000 people paid £45 each to take part, with proceeds shared between three charities. Demand proved so strong that a second train had to be added to accommodate passengers on the nine-hour journey across the network.

Despite that fanfare, the trains have not fully disappeared from service. Class 455 units have continued to appear on parts of the suburban network, particularly when newer trains have been unavailable. They have been spotted in service during January on routes in Surrey, including services between Hampton Court and Waterloo, as well as on the Woking line.

The ageing units are due to be replaced by SWR’s new Arterio trains, but industry sources say the older stock has been retained to cover shortfalls when the new fleet cannot be deployed. This has led to questions over why trains celebrated as withdrawn are still carrying passengers weeks later.

SWR has said the continued use of a small number of Class 455s was always anticipated as part of a resilience strategy. 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"The Class 455 fleet of trains was withdrawn from our timetable at the end of 2025.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."

Image: South Western Railway