Chippenham Wilts

[Dee Sa]

I want to go there next month to visit friends, firstly which London station do I depart from please ? and secondly I have an OAP Freedom Pass I live in Greater London, how far can I travel on my Freedom Pass before I have to buy a ticket for the rest of the journey ?
help appreciated

[Hopkirk]

You go from Paddington, on the Great Western Railway.

I will let our resident trains expert, Buenchico, answer the more difficult part of the question.

[Jackdaw33]

I don't think you can use your pass if the first stop is outside the Travelcard zone.

[Hopkirk]

That route is sometimes having considerable disruption due to major engineering works.

Check here when planning your trip:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx

[Buenchico]

Direct trains to Chippenham depart from Paddington, usually on the hour and half hour, taking about 1¼ hours (or a bit less) for the journey.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

The Freedom Pass area is shown on this map:
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/node/26627

Since the first stop on most Paddington-to-Chippenham services is Reading (and you can't combine tickets unless the train stops at the point where one ticket's validity ends and the other one's starts), your Freedom Pass won't help you.

[Hopkirk]

There you go.

[New Judge]

London Paddington.

The Freedom Pass is valid on that route after 9:30amas far as West Drayton so you will need to pay the excess from there.

[Canary42]

Your pass is valid as far as West Drayton, but you would have to get a train which stops there, and have to hold a ticket for the rest of the journey. I doubt if the saving would be significant, against a through ticket from Paddington, and you could probably get a faster train.

[New Judge]

Are you sure about the validity ''Chico?

If you are right Dee Sa can get a slow train to Reading (stopping at W. Drayton) and change there. (Don't know if it would save much cash though).

[Jackdaw33]

To use your pass you will have to take a train to West Drayton then one to Reading and change there for Chippenham. Doing it this way would save you £1.90.

[New Judge]

It's about 15 minutes longer and about £2 cheaper (single)to take the slow train and change.

[Buenchico]

To combine tickets, you'd have to buy a ticket from West Drayton to Chippenham and then join a Reading service from Paddington that calls at West Drayton, changing at Reading for a train to Chippenham.

To check which Paddington to Reading services call at West Drayton, use the National Rail link above for an initial search. Then click on 'Details' followed by 'Show calling points'. Such services typically take around 1 hour. Services from Reading to Chippenham take between 40 and 50 minutes.

The off-peak return fare from Paddington to Chippenham is £64.60 up until 10am (weekdays) and £51.50 thereafter. (With a Senior Railcard they're £42.65 and £34.00).

The off-peak return fare from West Drayton to Chippenham is £36.50 up until 10am and £28.10 thereafter. (With a Railcard they're £23.50 and £18.35).

[Dee Sa]

Many thanx to you all for your help, looks like I will forgo the small saving I will make and go direct, but I am grateful for all the help given.