Farewell train tour raises over £45,000 for charity

Train enthusiasts bid farewell to iconic red trains after almost 43 years of service

• The Class 455 farewell tour - tickets for which sold out in 15 seconds - took place on the South Western Railway network on Sunday 21 December

• Nearly 1,000 ‘gricers’ boarded two special charter services which celebrated the iconic fleet of trains that entered service in 1983

• It comes as new research reveals almost one in ten Brits consider themselves train enthusiasts, part of the 49% that have a unique hobby

• The retirement of the iconic red Class 455s comes as part of South Western Railway’s planned introduction of more Arterio trains in 2026

Train enthusiasts were given an early Christmas gift on Sunday 21 December - the chance to bid farewell to one of the UK’s most iconic trains, South Western Railway’s (SWR) Class 455s.

Ahead of the trains’ retirement, SWR ran two charter services from London Waterloo, giving nearly 1,000 train lovers – or ‘gricers’, as they’re known - a nine-hour, barnstorming trip around London and Surrey.

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.

Train fans braved the cold to reach London Waterloo at 9:30am on the shortest day of the year, for the special trips on some of Britain’s oldest trains, which entered service way back on March 28th 1983.

Francis Bourgeois, who has amassed nearly 80 million likes for his railway content on TikTok, and has more than 3 million followers on Instagram, was one of the well-known enthusiasts to join the tour. The influencer, who has gone on to star in documentaries about train travel and engineering, has even recorded a music video based on his love for the Class 455s, which many know as “the red train”.

"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. These trains have been a constant presence on the network for more than four decades, and so the final, celebratory ride was an emotional one.

“Seeing so many passionate people come together, alongside the drivers, guards and colleagues who’ve dedicated decades of their lives to these trains, was incredibly powerful. The Class 455s aren’t just trains, they’re moving memories, and this was the perfect way to say thank you and goodbye.”

SWR 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.

The farewell tour came as research* reveals the UK’s love of trains - with almost one in ten Brits (8%) revealing themselves as trainspotters, part of a wider 49% of Brits with a unique hobby. For over 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.

Other unique hobbies Brits enjoy include coin collecting (15%), ghost hunting (9%), and origami (7%). Of Brits with a unique hobby, one in five say they have become more open about it in the past 5 years, with over half (52%) saying they were inspired to take up a hobby by friends or family. In addition, almost a quarter (23%) say social media has inspired them to be more open about their unique hobby, with a similar number (22%) saying meeting others with the same hobby makes them feel more comfortable with sharing it.

From 2026, South Western Railway customers will see more Arterio trains which will replace the Class 455s, aiming to transform every journey on the suburban network. With more space, comfort, and free Wi-Fi, the roll out is part of the train operator’s commitment to improving customer experiences and increasing train capacity.

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.”

* Survey conducted by 3Gem from 21st to 25th November, among 2,000 Brits aged 18+