South Western Railway's (SWR) upcoming farewell tour for its much-loved Class 455 fleet has sold out in just 15 seconds, after more than 9,000 rail enthusiasts tried to snap up the first 400 tickets.

The special tour, taking place on Sunday, 21 December, will mark the end of an era for the Class 455s, which have been a familiar sight across south west London, Surrey and Berkshire since the early 1980s.

The units are due to retire by the end of 2025 as SWR continues the roll-out of its new Arterio trains.

Tickets for the first train went live through the Branch Line Society on 10 November and were immediately snapped up at £45.50 each, raising thousands for Macmillan Cancer Support, The Alex Wardle Foundation and Railway Children.

Such was the demand that SWR and the Branch Line Society have now confirmed a second train, with a limited number of additional tickets released yesterday (2 December).

The Class 455 trains pass through Twickenham (credit: Twickenham Nub News).

Lawrence Bowman, Managing Director of South Western Railway and Network Rail's Wessex Route, said the reaction had been "amazing".

"We're thrilled to raise so much money for three charities that mean a great deal to our colleagues," he said.

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"Knowing how many more enthusiasts want to be part of this special occasion, we're pleased to run a second train on 21 December – an early Christmas present for some lucky fans."

The farewell tour was first announced on 6 November and immediately sent enthusiasts flocking to SWR's website, with social media lighting up with photos, videos and even AI-generated tributes to the longstanding commuter workhorses.

Both trains will start from London Waterloo, the first departing at 9:32am and the second at 10:35am.

The route will take in familiar spots including Guildford and Kingston, as well as a few rare treats for Class 455s such as the District Line branch between East Putney and Wimbledon and a stop at Haslemere on the Portsmouth Direct Line.

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