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Alcohol Bans

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Jan Mayen

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I'd just like to clarify where alcohol is banned on trains and stations in Britain. This is a list of bans I think are in place:

London Underground
London Overground
Merseyrail
LNER
ScotRail, as if today

Also stations operated by the above. Have I missed any?
 
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Darandio

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When was the LNER alcohol ban reintroduced?

Well their alcohol FAQ page currently states the following.

We are currently operating with an alcohol free train policy, which means that alcohol is not allowed to be consumed onboard any LNER trains.

Was the page ever changed when the ban was lifted or has it been re-applied?
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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I'd just like to clarify where alcohol is banned on trains and stations in Britain. This is a list of bans I think are in place:

London Underground
London Overground
Merseyrail
LNER
ScotRail, as if today

Also stations operated by the above. Have I missed any?

I believe alcohol is banned on all the station's throughout the UK as a byelaw. One of the funniest things is you can drink on almost all trains, but not the platform until you board.
 

Llandudno

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I believe alcohol is banned on all the station's throughout the UK as a byelaw. One of the funniest things is you can drink on almost all trains, but not the platform until you board.
The York Tap has tables on the platform?
 

Mcr Warrior

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Northern operate some "dry" trains.

Quite a few of these seem to be to/from Carlisle.


Saturdays:

19:44 - Whitby – Middlesbrough (March – October)



19:23 - Newcastle – Carlisle (all year)

21:25 - Newcastle – Carlisle (all year)



19:09 - Carlisle – Whitehaven (all year)

20:00 - Carlisle – Whitehaven (all year)

21:06 - Carlisle – Whitehaven (all year)

21:49 - Carlisle – Whitehaven (all year)
 

43066

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I'd just like to clarify where alcohol is banned on trains and stations in Britain. This is a list of bans I think are in place:

London Underground
London Overground
Merseyrail
LNER
ScotRail, as if today

Also stations operated by the above. Have I missed any?

Also on all TfL Rail services.
 

Parallel

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No alcohol is permitted north of Pontypridd to Treherbert/Merthyr Tydfil/Aberdare and from Caerphilly to Bargoed/Rhymney on the TfW Valley Lines

The 20:21 GWR Weymouth to Bristol has historically been an alcohol free train on Saturdays for some time.
 

Steddenm

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Alcohol is banned on ALL Translink Northern Ireland Railways including the Enterprise (except if you are in First Class and purchased on board)
 

dk1

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Such an odd thing to do with companies that offer catering. It's large part of revenue for the likes of LNER. Very strange business logic indeed.
 

47271

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Such an odd thing to do with companies that offer catering. It's large part of revenue for the likes of LNER. Very strange business logic indeed.
Maybe it's because LNER has to deal with a disproportionate number of Aberdonians.

Only joking.
 

Jozhua

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I don't think that alcohol nessacerily needs to be banned on trains. In fact, I think the fact people can enjoy a tipple on their journey is a fantastic incentive to get people out of their cars!

However, the issue is when this begins to negatively impact on other passengers. Better defined fines for anti-social behaviour seems like it would be more appropriate, especially considering one could "pre-drink" before their train journey, or just half fill a coke bottle with Vodka.

I.e Rowdy/Noisy behaviour on trains, its fine if its like a weekend night in the late evening, or something like New Year's eve, but it does become annoying when it's say a long train journey on a weekday evening and you were counting on a nap/relaxation.
 
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I don't think that alcohol nessacerily needs to be banned on trains. In fact, I think the fact people can enjoy a tipple on their journey is a fantastic incentive to get people out of their cars!

However, the issue is when this begins to negatively impact on other passengers. Better defined fines for anti-social behaviour seems like it would be more appropriate, especially considering one could "pre-drink" before their train journey, or just half fill a coke bottle with Vodka.

I.e Rowdy/Noisy behaviour on trains, its fine if its like a weekend night in the late evening, or something like New Year's eve, but it does become annoying when it's say a long train journey on a weekday evening and you were counting on a nap/relaxation.
Any action whatsoever on antisocial behaviour would be a good thing. On a lot of rowdy late night trains the guard stays locked in the cab and passengers are left to fend for themselves.

Bouncers on trains? I've heard of worse ideas...
 

MCSHF007

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Any action whatsoever on antisocial behaviour would be a good thing. On a lot of rowdy late night trains the guard stays locked in the cab and passengers are left to fend for themselves.

Bouncers on trains? I've heard of worse ideas...

GlitterUnicorn for Minister of Transport.

Although alcohol itself isn't the problem - it's the inability of what sadly seems like c.95% of the population to consume even the slightest amount without immediately/subsequently acting like a complete arse in public.
 

High Dyke

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Any action whatsoever on antisocial behaviour would be a good thing. On a lot of rowdy late night trains the guard stays locked in the cab and passengers are left to fend for themselves.

Bouncers on trains? I've heard of worse ideas...
Exactly. There was an incident of passengers fighting on a Northern service recently. Police were deployed to the train and order restored. Oddly enough, a day or so later the same train had fighting passengers on-board (I don't know if it was the same passengers). This time the police were ready and waiting.

Now I agree about rowdy, drunken passengers. My gripe is that the ban means I can't purchase a can of beer for the train journey home, up to an hour from London for me. Now one small can of real ale doesn't make me a rowdy, abusive moron; why should I be penalised for wanting a relaxing alcoholic drink during my journey?
 

Jozhua

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My opinion on alcohol is generally that it just exaggerates what is already in your nature, so when people get into fights, it's kinda just an excuse for them to do what they would have done sober if consequences didn't exist.

Ultimately that's what alcohol does, lessens the sense of consequence, so you think you can get away with drink driving, drink fighting, acting like a drink (remove the r and replace the n with a c), etc.

The thing is, having rail be available as a form of transport where you can have a few drinks, or have had them before, is very useful and helps reduce the number of drunk drivers and overall drivers... (people will take public transport if they can have a few with their meal!)

But, that shouldn't come at the cost of people's safety or perceived safety if they want to travel a bit later in the day. For women travelling alone, the idea of being stuck in a carriage full of drunk men is probably not ideal. To be fair, you could probably cross out the drunk in a number of circumstances

Guards need to be empowered to move through the train and make sure passengers are protected. More BTP availability and the option for penalties. These may not even have to be given out on the day, perhaps retrospectively over CCTV if something perticularly bad happens?
 

185143

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Alcohol is banned on ALL Translink Northern Ireland Railways including the Enterprise (except if you are in First Class and purchased on board)
I wasn't aware of a requirement to be in First Class on the Enterprise, but it does indeed have to be purchased onboard. Though no catering onboard at the moment, so no alcohol. Irish Rail have also imposed a temporary alcohol ban at the moment too (was just certain services leaving Dublin on a Friday/returning on a Sunday previously which was very well advertised and had 'bouncers' patrolling the trains in my limited experience over there) so all trains on the island of Ireland are dry trains.
 

GRALISTAIR

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The thing is, having rail be available as a form of transport where you can have a few drinks, or have had them before, is very useful and helps reduce the number of drunk drivers and overall drivers... (people will take public transport if they can have a few with their meal!)
This is my view. A night out in Manchester is feasible when I am back home in the UK if there is a train back to Preston.
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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The York Tap has tables on the platform?

ok , as I clearly meant.... if you turn up, with a crate of beer, drink it on the platform, not allowed, drink it on the train , no problem. I didn't mean sat on a licensed premises on the platform.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Alcohol is banned on ALL Translink Northern Ireland Railways including the Enterprise (except if you are in First Class and purchased on board)
Booze only available to those who can afford first-class tickets?

That's not very egalitarian now is it? Presumably a decision made in Belfast rather than Dublin.
 

dk1

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Passengers are drinking Ghost Ship disguised in Waitrose reusable coffee cups. Decantation takes place in toilets to avoid being caught on live CCTV.
 

Bletchleyite

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Any action whatsoever on antisocial behaviour would be a good thing. On a lot of rowdy late night trains the guard stays locked in the cab and passengers are left to fend for themselves.

Bouncers on trains? I've heard of worse ideas...

While they aren't universally popular, Merseyrail seems to have met with some success with this idea.
 

centraltrains

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London Midland use to ban it past a certain time on certain evenings on departures.

London Northwestern Railway's page seems to imply that they probabbly still do.
 

LowLevel

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EMR has a long standing ban on the Nottingham to Worksop line after 1755 Friday/Saturday/Bank Holiday weekend Sundays and also on the 2051 Nottingham to Boston/1834 Lincoln to Grimsby.

It was introduced on the Worksop line many years ago and more recently on the Eastern routes due to the amount of scummy half pint hero types that frequent those trains and think nothing of indulging in a 20 man riot on the way home. On one memorable occasion last year or the year before it ended up spreading across 3 trains at Grantham station and required upwards of 20 police officers in riot gear to sort out. The perpetrators were then grievously affronted at not being allowed to carry on home on the train. Allowing the police to use live rounds on people indulging in violent disorder on those services would probably improve the local crime stats no end.

It was heading towards action being taken or the crews blacking the trains.

During the short lived summer freedom period there was a serious assault on an EMR contractor at Bulwell - the perp has just been sent to prison for 44 weeks.
 

Jozhua

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This is my view. A night out in Manchester is feasible when I am back home in the UK if there is a train back to Preston.
Can go out for a sesh on Oxford Road and get straight back from Oxford Road!

Or if the Northern Quarter is more your thing, Victoria is very close by!
 

Jan Mayen

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I believe alcohol is banned on all the station's throughout the UK as a byelaw. One of the funniest things is you can drink on almost all trains, but not the platform until you board.
I was not aware of such a ban! Bit worrying , as I've often had a beer on the platform waiting for a train. I seem to recall signs at a couple of stations (Chichester?) saying that there was no drinking at the station due to a local bylaw , but never signs saying it's banned at all stations. Does anyone know the bylaw that supports this general ban?
 
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