On Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:23:13 +0000, pedan3 wrote:

I am most intrigued by the idea that the fare on the fast train is
identical to that on the slow train, i.e. that I need only buy a
return from West Drayton (the westmost station the Freedom Pass
allows) to Reading, and that this covers the fast train, even though
the latter does not stop at West Drayton.

I think it was suggested that you get a ticket from "Boundary Zone 6",
which is not quite the same - indeed it ought to be slightly cheaper.

Does this always apply? Should, therefore, my fare to Edinburgh be
slightly cheaper because my Freedom Pass covers the stretch from
King's Cross to Finsbury Park, even though the train does not stop at
Finsbury Park?

If there were a Boundary Zone 6 to Edinburgh fare...

Looking at the fares on http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk, the journey
planner allows one to add one's Senior Railcard, but not (even for the
Reading journey) one's Freedom Pass. Indeed, it states that the
number of passes added for the fare calculation must not exceed the
number of passengers -- in this case, one. This would seem to
preclude the simultaneous use of a Freedom Pass and a Senior Railcard,
which does not sound logical.

As you know, the Freedom pass isn't a railcard, so that note doesn't
apply. You have one railcard, and that's what matters. The Freedom
Pass isn't mentioned, neither are any other ways of having a ticket
already.

You need a fare from a zone boundary (6, in this case), as would
anyone with a Travelcard, so you are not alone. Unfortunately the
on-line sellers have never offered these, but a human at a station
would know immediately what you need.

By the way, the slow train to and from Reading was by no means as bad
as painted by some of the replies, and gets there in about an hour.
Sometimes speed is important; sometimes not.

If you were talking about the Glacier Express, I'd agree!

Richard.