Hundreds of people, including TikTok star Francis Bourgeois joined forced to bid farewell to an iconic UK train ahead of its retirement at the end of the year
TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois was one of hundreds of trainspotters who bagged sell-out tickets to bid farewell to one of the UK’s most iconic commuter trains.
The social media star hopped aboard a South Western Railway train Class 455 and travelled around London and Surrey on a nine-hour journey ahead of their retirement at the end of 2025.
The train, usually begrudgingly ridden by weary commuters, turned out to be a smash hit with fans as tickets for the farewell tour sold out in just 15 seconds.
Fans braved the cold to reach London Waterloo at 9:30am on Sunday [December 21st] for the special trips on some of Britain’s oldest trains, which entered service on March 28th 1983.
Back then the first mobile phone, which weighed more than a kilogram and was 10 inches tall, had only been on the market for three weeks.
In contrast, train-mad enthusiasts on Sunday used specialist apps on their smartphones to track the number of miles they travelled. Some were even competing to travel the most miles on a Class 455, a hobby known as ‘track bashing’.
SWR ran two charter train services from London Waterloo on Sunday with nearly 1,000 train lovers or ‘gricers’ on board.
Tickets were priced at £45.50, with all profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support, The Alex Wardle Foundation, and Railway Children.
Francis Bourgeois, who has recorded a music video about his love for Class 455s, said: “South Western Railway’s Class 455s mean an enormous amount to me and so many people who’ve grown up with them so being part of this farewell tour was incredibly special.
“They’ve 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, colleagues and guards 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 it was the perfect way to say thank you and goodbye.”
The farewell tour came as research reveals the UK’s passion for trains, with almost one in ten Brits 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 regard the nostalgia and historic element as a big attraction.
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 five years, with more than half (52%) saying they were inspired to take up a hobby by friends or family.
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.
Lawrence Bowman, Managing Director of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex Route, said: “Our Class 455 Farewell tour proves just how big the railway enthusiast community is and shows how far the trainspotting hobby has come over the years.
“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 customers the quality of service they rightly expect.
From 2026 South Western Railway customers will see more Arterio trains that will replace the Class 455s, aiming to transform every journey on the suburban network.
With more space, comfort and free WiFi, the roll out is part of the train operator’s commitment to improving customer experiences and increasing train capacity.