Sunday out in Weymouth - from Swindon, Chippenham and Melksham.

** Train times:

Swindon - 08:20, Chippenham - 08:36, Melksham - 08:46. Arrive Weymouth 10:42
Weymouth - 17:56, arrive at Melksham - 19:52, Chippenham - 20:02, Swindon - 20:20
Through train, runs 3rd July 2011, then every Sunday 17th July to 28th August.

Subject to regular ticketing and fares, but MIGHT NOT APPEAR on all online journey planners and timetables.
Also serves Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West and Upwey.

You can buy your tickets at the station on the day at Chippenham and Swindon. If you're joining at Melksham, buy your tickets from the conductor on the train.

Car parking is available at Swindon and Chippenham stations (charge) and at Melksham station (free for rail users). Melksham station is situated just off the main A350 road and is an ideal railhead for this trip for residents of Devizes, Corsham, Calne, Holt, Lacock, Bromham, Atworth and the surrounding countryside.

** Fares

Children aged five to 15 years old may travel at Child Fares
Children under the age of 5 may travel at no charge
Dogs may travel at no charge. Smaller pets OK in boxes. No ponies (tried recently at Wrexham!!)
Cycles travel at no charge BUT capacity is limited and you won't be able to travel if the allotted number is already on board when you come to join the train.

Best fares for these Sunday trains ...

For ONE ADULT - buy a "Heart of Wessex Day Ranger" ticket at 15 pounds, which is valid for as many journeys as you like during the day on the line (and also from Trowbridge to Bristol and from Chippenham to Bath.

For TWO ADULTS buy two "Heart of Wessex Day Ranger" tickets - 30 pounds

For THREE ADULTS buy a GroupSave 3 day return Swindon to Weymouth via Yeovil. 15.60 for each of the first two adults, with the third travelling for free. - 31.20. This is a lower fare than any Chippenham or Melksham to Weymouth fares, so you should buy one of these even if you're making the shorter journey.

For FOUR ADULTS buy a GroupSave 4 day return Swindon to Weymouth via Yeovil. 15.60 for each of the first two adults, with the third and fourth travelling for free - 31.20 (actaully 30.90 for 3 - calculation quirk!)

1 adult, 1 child - Day Ranger (adult) + Day Ranger (Child)
1 adult, 2 children - GroupSave 3
1 adult, 3 children - GroupSave 4
2 adults, 1 child - GroupSave 3
2 adults, 2 children - GroupSave 4
2 adults, 3 children - GroupSave 4 + 1 child ticket on GroupSave (adds 1 pound - children cost 1 pound on GroupSave)
2 adults, 4 children - GroupSave 4 + 2 child tickets
3 adults, 1 child - GroupSave 4
3 adults, 2 children - GroupSave 4 + 1 child ticket
3 adults, 3 children - GroupSave 4 + 2 child tickets
3 adults, 4 children - GroupSave 4 + 3 child tickets
4 adults, 1 child - GroupSave 4 + 1 child ticket
4 adults, 2 children - GroupSave 4 + 2 child tickets
4 adults, 3 children - GroupSave 4 + 3 child tickets
4 adults, 4 children - GroupSave 4 + 4 child tickets

Larger party - usually multiple GroupSave tickets will make you savings.

** A note on fares

Background - the fare system on the railways is complex and full of anomalies, and especially so on the northern section of the TransWilts line. The anomalies are largely as a result of the history of the network, and are something that the Community Rail Partnership would like to see sorted out; this would result in some fare reductions (such as the 53 pound single from Swindon to Salisbury) and some increases (such as the 6 pound return fare on Saturdays and Sundays from Melksham to Swindon, which works out as 12 pounds in total for 4 adults if you ask for a "GroupSave 4" and all travel together both ways). We (at the CRP^▸ ) are believers in a FAIR fare system - under which sensible farebox revenues go to the train operators to allow them to run a service which is as financially self-supporting as practical, and provides the train operator with the monies to pay Network Rail and other supplier to them for their services; that does not mean driving fares down to the lowest bargain level, which could also drive services down.

Note - You are allowed for most ticket types:

(a) To buy a ticket for a longer journey that you make, and only travel part of the route. So you can buy a Swindon -> Weymouth day return and travel on it from Chippenham or Melksham to Weymouth and back. It's cheaper to do so, and tickets sales staff (but NOT machines) are obliged to sell you the cheaper ticket if you ask for it, but there is no obligation on them to tell you about the cheaper option if you don't know, even if you ask for "the cheapest fare" ...

(b) To have a child travel on an adult ticket.

(c) To buy multiple tickets to make up a complete journey provided that the train you're travelling on calls at the station where you switch from one ticket to the other. For example, you can buy a Melksham to Didcot ticket and a Didcot to London ticket, provided that the train you're travelling on calls at Didcot. No need to get off and back on there ... and any staffed ticket sales point will sell you the tickets, often with a secret admiration that you know the system.

Fares quoted above may be reduced if you hold a railcard such as a Senior, disabled or young persons card. Not all types of railcards may be applied to all types of tickets though.

The information provided above is intended for guidance, and is provided "E & O E" - that's errors and omissions excepted. We've done our best to get it complete and accurate, but if in doubt you should check with First Great Western and the national conditions of carriage.

_{Edit note: typos corrected. Chris.}