Booze ban on EK trains now in effect

Jul 25 2012 by Shona Mitchell, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride rail passengers will no longer be able to consume alcohol while travelling between 9pm and 10am.

ScotRail have announced the booze ban in response to concerns about anti-social behaviour on their trains.

The ban will be in force on most trains across Scotland, including the East Kilbride to Glasgow route which also stops at Hairmyres.

The ban will also allow staff to prevent people who are drunk travelling on trains.

ScotRail run 95 per cent of Scotland’s trains, a total of more than 2000 services a day. Alcohol was already banned on certain services including those carrying people to football and rugby matches as well as other special events.

The overnight sleeper service to and from London is exempt from the ban, as are east and west coast services between Scotland and England as they are not operated by ScotRail.

Transport Police say they have dealt with some 260 drink-related incidents in the past six months alone and they also claim it is the cause of many services being delayed while they deal with such incidents.

ScotRail ran a month-long campaign before the launch last Friday to raise awareness of the ban and they completed a ‘soft’ launch for a fortnight before the ban came into full effect so many local passengers may already be aware of the changes.

The firm say they will not search passengers’ bags while they are travelling and last orders will apply on train drinks trollies with alcohol no longer being sold by 8.30pm and customers will be asked to finish all drinks by 9pm.

The ban will be enforced under existing by-laws.