In this special post about the Class 455 trains, which entered service in 1980, we bid a fond farewell. I have many fond memories of riding these units, particularly the Class 455/7, which featured a 508 carriage taken from the 508s that operated on the Merseyrail network. We lost the 508s at the end of 2024, and now we are witnessing the 455s retiring from service at the end of 2025 and early 2026.

Sadly, I was unable to head to London this year to see the last of the 455s, but I do have some fond memories. I visited stations around the southwest of London, such as Chessington, Shepperton, and even Hampton Court branches, all from London Waterloo station. Whenever I’ve been in London, I’ve always tried to get a ride somehow, especially up to Wimbledon and West Croydon.

As part of my quest to visit every single station in the United Kingdom, I have already visited over 200 stations, which I document on my blog. In the new year, I plan to undertake a separate challenge alongside my station visits: to Stop & Ride every bit of railway in the United Kingdom. This will be featured on TikTok under the name Joel Hardy Vlog.

As shown above, in December 2024, the 701 Arterio trains by Alstom were finally introduced after years of delay. They were originally meant to be introduced in December 2019, much like Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains, which were scheduled for 2020 but only came into service in 2023. I must admit, I quite like the interior of the brand new Class 701s operated by South Western Railway (Great British Railways). It is a nice upgrade.

With the withdrawal of Class 455 trains from service, there will sadly be no more British Rail electric multiple units in England. They have all been replaced by modern traction, such as those built by Alstom or Stadler in Merseyrail’s case. The Class 455 trains are being replaced by the reasonably popular Class 701 trains, built by Alstom in Derby. These trains are very similar to the 710/720s and 345 on the Elizabeth line.

I don’t have many memories of riding these trains as a small child, but my fondest memories are from adulthood, exploring London. When I visited London stations in September this year, I had a great time riding them. I do remember travelling on the 507/8 trains from Merseyrail from childhood into adulthood. However, it will be sad if I don’t see one of these wonderful trains the next time I visit London.

The majority of trains on the Chessington South line will now be operated with either 701 trains or the Class 450, which I quite like and enjoy riding on. However, the interior layout is in a 2×3 seating arrangement, making it rather awkward to move through the train. This does allow for a capacity upgrade compared with the standard 2×2 seating seen on the Class 455 trains. The 450s can also operate in 10-car formations, whereas the 455 trains only operate in 8-car formations.

As it’s Christmas Eve at the time of writing, I want to wish all my readers and subscribers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have several exciting blog posts lined up for the next few days, but I won’t be sharing any new content until January 2026. Additionally, I would love to hear about any memories you have of riding the Class 455 trains, as well as the 507 trains.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for reading my posts. I’ve had a fantastic time this past year growing and building this new blog, and I’m excited to continue this journey into 2026. If you have any favourite posts from me, I’d love to hear about them. At the time of writing, I’m approaching 3000 views and have 17 subscribers. It would be wonderful to reach 20 subscribers or more and over 3000 views by the end of the year. Once again, thank you for your support.