Dry trains

[tommy67]

Any idea if the trains back to Stoke on Trent this coming Sunday will allow alcohol on board,were on the 1900 didn't realize the Mancs were at wembley.

 

[GW43125]

Any idea if the trains back to Stoke on Trent this coming Sunday will allow alcohol on board,were on the 1900 didn't realize the Mancs were at wembley.

I think the usual policy is for VT to given 24 hours' notice of dry trains so id say check the VT website on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

 

[CosherB]

Any idea if the trains back to Stoke on Trent this coming Sunday will allow alcohol on board,were on the 1900 didn't realize the Mancs were at wembley.

I'd work on the assumption that trains leaving London for Manchester after the final whistle will be dry - it happens regularly with Virgin when City are in the capital. It's a 1500 kick-off so anything after 1700 could be affected.

 

[Mag_seven]

Any idea if the trains back to Stoke on Trent this coming Sunday will allow alcohol on board,were on the 1900 didn't realize the Mancs were at wembley.

I'll shortly be arriving at Euston - I'll see if there are any posters and report back.

UPDATE - no posters in evidence for Sunday. There are posters for Liverpool services for Saturday though

 

[221129]

I think the usual policy is for VT to given 24 hours' notice of dry trains so id say check the VT website on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

EDIT- just checked, it's 48 hours and they'll publish them here: https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/travel-information/timetable-changes/

Not sure how the VTEC website will help passengers on the West Coast...

 

[GW43125]

Not sure how the VTEC website will help passengers on the West Coast...

I could have sworn I was on the VTWC website... I'll change that now

 

[Oxfordblues]

I personally take the view that all trains should be "dry" at all times. I recall carriages in the 1960s where just one compartment out of ten was non-smoking. Now it's 100%.

All too often I've boarded a train only to realise that the people in the next bay have a table full of cans of lager and who will get progressively more drunk and obnoxious as the journey progresses. (I usually move to the next carriage!)

 

[Darandio]

I personally take the view that all trains should be "dry" at all times. I recall carriages in the 1960s where just one compartment out of ten was non-smoking. Now it's 100%.

All too often I've boarded a train only to realise that the people in the next bay have a table full of cans of lager and who will get progressively more drunk and obnoxious as the journey progresses. (I usually move to the next carriage!)

Thank goodness you are not in charge then.

Because a tiny minority either cannot handle their drink or drink too much, I should then not be allowed to enjoy a glass of wine or bottle of beer whilst on a long journey?

 

[jopsuk]

haven't we had the "all trains should be dry" argument about three times in the last year on this forum?

 

[221129]

I recall carriages in the 1960s where just one compartment out of ten was non-smoking. Now it's 100%.

It's only 100% because it is the law...

 

[AlterEgo]

I personally take the view that all trains should be "dry" at all times. I recall carriages in the 1960s where just one compartment out of ten was non-smoking. Now it's 100%.

All too often I've boarded a train only to realise that the people in the next bay have a table full of cans of lager and who will get progressively more drunk and obnoxious as the journey progresses. (I usually move to the next carriage!)

Well I and many others like a drink (one or two!) with a meal on trains, so I can't say I support your proposal...

 

[CosherB]

Thank goodness you are not in charge then.

Because a tiny minority either cannot handle their drink or drink too much, I should then not be allowed to enjoy a glass of wine or bottle of beer whilst on a long journey?

+1. Wholeheartedly agree.

 

[Bletchleyite]

+1. Wholeheartedly agree.

And me. The solution is for drunk and disorderly to be prosecuted far more often with far less lenient sentences. Enjoy drink responsibly, fine. Lose it, very much not fine. On train CCTV should make good evidence available.

 

[Kendalian]

"Dry" trains can encourage some people to get tanked up more before they get onboard instead of spreading out the drinking.

Absolutely loved it last spring travelling on the West Highland, Kyle and Highland Main line sipping a glass or "2" of quality red

 

[broadgage]

Agree, dry trains are a reasonable response to services with a history of drunken trouble, or on which previous experience suggests that trouble is likely.

My concerns are that the health lobby aided by the puritans will consider increasing numbers of dry trains as being an aim in itself, and look forward to "progress" in declaring more and more trains dry.

I also don't like trains being declared "dry" at short notice after I have booked tickets and perhaps already purchased bottles of drink as presents.

On one journey I had no idea that the train was dry until I turned up with 2 bottles of expensive liquor intended as presents.
I had the choice of throwing away drink worth perhaps £50, or throwing away tickets worth more than that, or lying to a police officer and hoping that they would not search me.

I feel that too many trains are declared dry as it is, sometimes I suspect without any real consideration of the actual situation.

There are existing legal remedies to deal with drunks.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

I personally take the view that all trains should be "dry" at all times. I recall carriages in the 1960s where just one compartment out of ten was non-smoking. Now it's 100%.

All too often I've boarded a train only to realise that the people in the next bay have a table full of cans of lager and who will get progressively more drunk and obnoxious as the journey progresses. (I usually move to the next carriage!)

Maybe it will encourage more people to take drugs. Far easier to conceal and take on board and more difficult to know who is under their influence.

 

[southern442]

If you get too annoyed about Dry Trains then why not just take a Water Train.

(my first thought when I saw the title of this thread)

 

[Camden]

The existing remedies to deal with drunks obviously don't work. Alcohol use on transport/drunk people on transport (planes as well as trains) is a growing problem, creating an intimidating atmosphere and too often leading to violence.

I don't think banning alcohol is the solution, but much tougher dealing with people who get drunk and cause problems.

 

[Bald Rick]

If you get too annoyed about Dry Trains then why not just take a Water Train.

(my first thought when I saw the title of this thread)

Post of the week!

 

[Chester1]

Intercity trains should be allowed to sell alcohol. I wouldn't even allow alcohol on local services. There is a clear difference between enjoying a drink or two on a long journey and getting tanked up during a short journey. Boris got alot of stick for banning alcohol on the underground but a few years on I doubt the decision could be reversed.

 

[FartinLewis]

Hmm, banning alcohol, worked well during the US prohibition, banning drugs, current 'War on Drugs' is working well, two concepts that have really succeeded! If people want to do something, they will, and rather than banning things, regulating them might be a bit more sensible.

Instead of banning everything, if those in charge would instead evaluate it on a person by person basis, I'm confident it would be much more successful.

 

[fowler9]

Intercity trains should be allowed to sell alcohol. I wouldn't even allow alcohol on local services. There is a clear difference between enjoying a drink or two on a long journey and getting tanked up during a short journey. Boris got alot of stick for banning alcohol on the underground but a few years on I doubt the decision could be reversed.

How would it work? Banned from trains traveling under a certain distance? Banned from certain TOC's.

 

[mike57]

Unfortunately dry trains are another example of our inability to deal with criminal/anti social behavior.

I would hand down sentences that would ensure that others who may be about to commit similar mayhem would think twice.

The standard answer now days is to deal with any problem by hurting everyone rather than those who cause the problem.

I can understand TOC's having dry trains, the problem is the justice system doesnt support the law abiding citizen, and given that lack of support from the justice system quite rightly they don't want to deal with the consequences of idiots who realise that no matter how badly they behave they will get away with it.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

How would it work? Banned from trains traveling under a certain distance? Banned from certain TOC's.

On the underground there are certain stations where you can drink on the train but not on the platform and others where you can drink on the platform and not on the train (Farringdon and Barking as examples)

 

[broadgage]

If you get too annoyed about Dry Trains then why not just take a Water Train.

(my first thought when I saw the title of this thread)

Classic ! perhaps dry trains and water trains could be alternated ?

 

[southern442]

A more serious post for me now, I don't get why they shouldn't serve alcohol on intercity trains. Some people on here say that all trains should be dry because it limits problems associated with excessive drink. However what you have to remember is that people with drinking problems will take containers on to the train anyway. Look at the tube and suburban rail for example. Alcohol is banned yet the people whom the ban is aimed at will smuggle them in anyway - it happens a lot.

 

[fowler9]

A more serious post for me now, I don't get why they shouldn't serve alcohol on intercity trains. Some people on here say that all trains should be dry because it limits problems associated with excessive drink. However what you have to remember is that people with drinking problems will take containers on to the train anyway. Look at the tube and suburban rail for example. Alcohol is banned yet the people whom the ban is aimed at will smuggle them in anyway - it happens a lot.

I wouldn't say that this is entirely correct. Many people with drink problems don't go nuts when they drink and are actually very good at hiding it, their level of intoxication I mean, not booze they are carrying. Bans aren't aimed at alcoholics, they are aimed at people who probably don't know how to behave at the best of times. There are already laws in place to deal with such people without banning everyone from drinking, they just need enforcing.

 

[Chester1]

How would it work? Banned from trains traveling under a certain distance? Banned from certain TOC's.

By ToCs would be the simplest way. For instance Northern, Southern, London Midland and Thameslink dry. Its easier to police a clear anti social law. No drinking alcohol on the train is either being broken or its not. I know pacers are bad but they don't require a drink to cope with! How many people quitely drink on local stopping services?! You just don't unless your part of a group drinking after a match or heading on a night out.

 

[fowler9]

By ToCs would be the simplest way. For instance Northern, Southern, London Midland and Thameslink dry. Its easier to police a clear anti social law. No drinking alcohol on the train is either being broken or its not. I know pacers are bad but they don't require a drink to cope with! How many people quitely drink on local stopping services?! You just don't unless your part of a group drinking after a match or heading on a night out.

Here is where it gets complicated. That would mean you could have a drink on an East Midlands service from Lime Street to South Parkway but not a Northern one from Leeds to Carlisle or Barrow to Carlisle. You could drink on a Transpennine service from Liverpool to Manchester but not a Northern one. You could drink on a Virgin West Coast Service from Liverpool to London but if you choose to change trains using London Midland you can't.

Virgin Trains East Coast and West Coast are about the only TOC's I can think of that don't operate short distance local services so unless you ban booze from everything but them then you need more complicated rules. The more rules you have the more grey areas there are.

You can go from Liverpool to Manchester on Trans Pennine, East Midlands or Northern. You can go from Liverpool to Runcorn, Crewe or Stafford on Virgin or London Midland. What do you recko would happen with people who really want a bevvy? A proper Alchy would probably smuggle booze on anyway. A big gang of lads or lasses would just choose the train they can drink on.

Of course any ban on drinking on the train does not account for people who are beyond capable before getting on. If I have 2 cans on a Liverpool to Oxford Road Northern service on a night out I am hardly going to rip the train apart. If someone else has had 15 pints before they get the train back later on will it make much difference if they are allowed to drink on the train?

If anything I have said is unreasonable then we may as well just ban alcohol everywhere completely. There are already laws in place to deal with this, they just need upholding.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

A ban is likely to just alter or exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. Those desperate enough will end up tanking up before boarding - drinking the same amount or more in a shorter timespan.

Our whole culture is based on alcohol consumption, in particular it being integral to most people's night out. Even a rigorously enforced total ban would just move the problem elsewhere - the solutions are more complex and long term than just a straightforward ban.