Via Gloucester - does it really mean that?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Heading from Melksham to Burton-on-Trent on Wednesday afternoon, back on Friday afternoon ...

http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)&dest=BUT

There's a 61.90 fare "via Gloucester" (and that's just about the only route offered for any fares).  However, I'm offered that fare on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site for a train at 12:03 (change at Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads) and that doesn't go through Gloucester station.

The 13:13 train - change at Trowbridge and Gloucester is nearly an hour slower   

Am I likely to be grilled on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train if I take the 12:03 as offered by the FGW site?

[JayMac]

If you have an itinerary from a booking engine, then it's valid. Seat reservations will help reinforce that.

As to why the only available route is one marked 'via Gloucester' and there is no 'Any Permitted'; that's one you'll have to ask the fare setter. In this case CrossCountry.

The shortest route (always valid) is actually via Swindon and Stroud. Although, leaving at 1203, this will take 55 minutes more than going via Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context).