It’s actually a railway by-law. Train operators can introduce alcohol bans which effectively mean they are laws under the terms of their licence. Rail staff are regularly spat on, verbally abused, physically abused, fire extinguishers stole and set off, pass comms pulled, full scale fights and women passengers subjected to unwanted sexual advances. To name a few issues that happen daily. The vast majority of this caused by people under the influence of alcohol. So if banning it helps reduce some of these incidents then it’s got to make using the railway a bit more pleasurable for everyone.

The railway is key in reducing our cabin footprint and must become a mode of choice as part of our public transport network, if we are going to get people our of cars onto trains and buses then it must be safe and affordable. The next fare rises in January could be eye bleeding as they are link to RPI plus 1%. No one will use the trains if prices shoot by by 10/11% and they are full of drunks or neds causing havoc.