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You are > Home > Antisocial behaviour prompts call for alcohol ban on trains
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14 April 2011
Antisocial behaviour prompts call for alcohol ban on trains
A NATIONAL rail users’ organisation is calling for a ban on passengers drinking their own alcohol on trains due to ongoing antisocial behaviour on the Dublin to Rosslare line.
The group has noted a particular problem on trains running to Gorey and Rosslare at weekends and during the summer months with groups of passengers becoming intoxicated and aggressive after drinking on board.
“It’s a persistent problem on the Rosslare line; you get groups of youths taking their crate of beer onboard and cracking open a few cans. They get noisy and aggressive and walk up and down the corridors; it makes it very uncomfortable for other passengers,” stated Rail Users Ireland spokesperson Mark Gleeson.
He added: “There have been similar problems on the Dublin to Galway and Waterford lines, however they’ve clamped down on passengers drinking their own alcohol on the Waterford line.” Mr. Gleeson believes that the problem stems from the lack of legislation surrounding the consumption of alcohol on trains.
He explained: “It’s completely legal to bring your own alcohol onto a train and drink as much as you like. The only point where you will be thrown off the train is if you become so intoxicated as to be a danger to yourself or people around you.”
Rail Users Ireland is now calling for a ban on the consumption of alcohol which passengers have taken onto the train themselves.
“If you look at how seriously they take getting drunk on aeroplanes, trains are the exact same you’re stuck in a steel tube and you can’t get out if hell breaks loose. It’s not illegal to be drunk or to bring drink onto trains. The gardaí are not quick to respond to incidents either, I just don’t think they grasp the gravity of the situation,” commented Mr. Gleeson.
He continued: “In Northern Ireland it’s illegal to drink on trains unless you’re in the restaurant carriage. The law here is non-descript; it doesn’t say you can’t, which basically means that you can. I have no problem with someone having a quiet beer on the way home on a Friday, but it’s the minority, groups of 16-25 year-olds bringing slabs of beer on the train which causes the problem.”
Mr. Gleeson added that other passengers are reluctant to report incidents of antisocial behaviour for fear of retaliation.
He explained: “People who get the same train every day are not going to face up to these people. They’re going to be there every day and they’re afraid they’ll be singled out. There is a number people can call to report incidents; it’s advertised on posters in all train stations. The call centre can then call the driver.”
Mr. Gleeson concluded: “It’s best that Irish Rail declare the Rosslare line a dry line. I can’t see any reason why anyone should be allowed to drink on a commuter train. The by-laws are written by Irish Rail, it can be done in a matter of days if they wanted to do it.”
A spokesperson for Irish Rail remarked: “There is a group of individuals who have contributed to antisocial behaviour on that line. We’re working with the gardaí and our own private security firm on a plan to combat the problem. We are aware of it and we’re doing our best to combat it.”
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