Freedom pass - East London to Reading on Elizabeth line

[purpletrees16]

Anyone know if you need to tap out with a freedom pass at west Drayton on the Elizabeth line? Or who to ask - my local station (mainline London) is generally unstaffed & not tfl.

My great aunt (90) wants to use the Elizabeth line all the way from Abbey wood to Reading and I’ve been tasking with finding out how to do it.

She thinks it is free all the way but Google says that the freedom pass stops in west Drayton. It’s £20 all the way from abbey wood but £10 with a railcard to buy a return from west Drayton. she has free travel to west Drayton, so I thought I could buy the train ticket for the last bit. Would she need to get off to validate the freedom pass part?

she’s travelling with my 60ish mother who lives in Scotland and it’s actually my mother who is worried one. Journey is in one month time. My mum wants a series of step by step instructions to follow. I am in wales at the time so cannot travel with them.

I’m sure it will be a great day out!

The Elizabeth LIne is wonderful. We use it whenever we can.

I don't think you need to tap out with your Freedom Pass. I have a 60+ Oyster and I do tap in and out at rail/tube/Overground/DLR stations, but it's from habit. As I'm not being charged, if I didn't tap out, I can't see what would happen.

Buying the ticket for the West Drayton to Reading section online is a good idea. Would they be OK with an eticket or will you have to get a paper ticket to them? I often buy tickets online and then collect at my local station, but as well as the booking reference I need the credit card used to book them for the self-service machine, so it probably wouldn't work if you booked and they collected.

Actually, thinking about this, the bigger issue is how to tap in at West Drayton. I wonder if TfL could help.

I don’t think there is any need to get off at West Drayton to touch out and then get back on to get to Reading. She will need a ticket to cover the journey from West Drayton to Reading as that is not covered by the Freedom Pass. She uses the Freedom Pass to get onto train at start and the ticket to get out at Reading. If a ticket inspector asks to check tickets during journey she needs to show them the Freedom Pass on section to West Drayton and ticket thereafter.

I understood that you could use your freedom pass all the way to Reading for free providing you use the Elizabeth line. No idea how it works. You can’t use your 60 plus card to Reading though.

According to this you can use the Freedom Pass on all of the Elizabeth line:

https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/freedom-pass-travel-map

Thanks! I found another version of this map but this one seems official. Noticed it has a contact us so I’ve dropped them an email so I can show to my mum to guarantee.

On how I was going to get any ticket to them - I was going to buy it online, print it and post it in advance 🤣. Though my mum would be ok with it on her phone as a back up.

Thank you all for the help!

So your elderly great aunt was right all along

According to the Elizabeth line ambassador you can use a freedom pass all the way to reading