Today (4th February 2026) SWR has announced it is keeping some of its Class 455 trains in backup service as a contingency plan.

This news is reassuring for us rail enthusiasts, but is it CRUCIAL that one of these if preserved (or specific components like a Westinghouse compressor or speedometer) is preserved and not lost like the fate of the Class 456s and 442s which were scrapped in 2021/2022.