The Trainline is suggesting via High Wycombe tickets because these are the cheapest point-to-point tickets that are valid. More expensive tickets are also available but in most cases there is no reason to buy them if you simply intend to take the fastest route (Chiltern).
As to whether the tickets are valid or not, it may be useful to know the following:
- If you are offered a ticket in conjunction with a particular itinerary then the ticket is contractually valid if you travel on the itinerary provided. This applies even if there is an error or mistake somewhere and the ticket isn't perhaps intended to be valid with the itinerary. So even if there was a mistake here, your ticket would still be valid.
- Tickets which have a specific route restriction (such as via High Wycombe in this instance) do not require you to stop at the 'via' station in order for the ticket to be valid. You just have to go through the station in one way or another, as the route explanation text on the bottom right hand side of the screen shows: "valid only for travel via (changing trains or passing through) High Wycombe".
So the ticket you are offered is definitely valid via High Wycombe, not only contractually, but it is the way the fare is intended to be used. The reason why the ticket is restricted in this manner is to ensure that Chiltern get the (majority of the) money for these tickets, rather than other companies such as Virgin. On an "Any Permitted" ticket it could be that Virgin get more of the money, and Chiltern don't want that - hence why they have these fares.
On another point, booking tickets through The Trainline is usually inadvisable. They sell exactly the same tickets at exactly the same prices as any other website, but are cheeky enough to charge a booking fee for the privilege! Some other booking websites are even just
rebranded versions of The Trainline, but don't charge a fee. You can buy these tickets from Chiltern or any other train company and then you won't be charged a booking fee.
Furthermore, it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a combination of tickets for your journey - for example, Dorridge to Banbury, and Banbury to London. Sites such as
www.trainsplit.com take the work out of calculating this manually, and will either sell you a through ticket (from Dorridge to London) if that is cheapest, or a combination of tickets where this is cheaper - all in one transaction and with one booking reference to pick up the tickets.
Finally, note that the ticket you've selected on your screenshot is only a
single ticket to London Underground Zones 1-6. It only covers one train journey to Marylebone and then one Underground/DLR journey within Zones 1-6. It isn't a Travelcard, which would be valid for unlimited travel on trains, buses and trams as well as the Underground and DLR within Zones 1-6 for the duration of the ticket. The Travelcard costs merely £55.00 vs the £54.10 of the ticket you have selected, and it is valid to return back to Dorridge the same day, so it is much better value for money.
Hope that helps!
