Increased Alcohol Restrictions on Waterford Sevices from 31 May

[Jamie2k9]

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4829&p=116&n=237

Dublin/Waterford line Fridays and Sundays: Alcohol restricted on certain services from 31st May

24 May 2013

In response to customer feedback, the consumption and carriage of alcohol on the 13:15 and 15:10 Dublin to Waterford services on Fridays is prohibited from 31st May 2013 onwards.

This follows repeated instances of groups disturbing other customers on board these specific services due to excessive alcohol consumption.

This is in addition to existing alcohol restrictions on Sundays on the 12.40, 15.10 and 18.05 Waterford to Dublin services.

[haddockman]

They will simply take earlier or later trains.

Friday should be a dry day on that route.

[Jamie2k9]

They will simply take earlier or later trains.

Friday should be a dry day on that route.

They won't travel any lather as most want to make the most of the weekend but if they are prepared to do it for these services then its only a matter of time before the 10.15 on Fridays, Saturdays and the 13.15 on Saturdays get it as well.

The petrol incident a few weeks ago didn't give them much choice in the matter and it had to be done. Will cost them providing 2 security people per train.

[haddockman]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

They won't travel any lather as most want to make the most of the weekend but if they are prepared to do it for these services then its only a matter of time before the 10.15 on Fridays, Saturdays and the 13.15 on Saturdays get it as well.

The petrol incident a few weeks ago didn't give them much choice in the matter and it had to be done. Will cost them providing 2 security people per train.

What happened?

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by haddockman

What happened?

Was not on this service but people were talking about it on another service who I was sitting beside and they were saying that a group of lads allegedly after drinking started sniffing petrol from a drum. When driver became aware the guards were called but they allegedly threatened to set it on fire if the guards were called.

[Inniskeen]

One wonders what type of tickets the petrol heads were travelling on ?

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

One wonders what type of tickets the petrol heads were travelling on ?

Would love to know that answer to.

Take yesterday afternoon, another group on the 18.05 who by the looks were refused or missed an earlier train so they took the 6.05. They were allowed to drink for the whole journey. Yet drink is not to be consumed, in fairness to the security they stood in the middle of the carriage with them for the whole journey.

Now why were the guards not got to take them off the train, yes it can delay the train but if they were called once they started drinking when we left Kilkenny and say they would take them off in Carlow, that gives them 25 minutes or so to try and get people to the station and not delay the train.

Do IE get charged for a guards call out when its not an emergency? and why are they always so reluctant to kick people off, like if security were to mind these passengers on every train they would need 30 or 40 on each service. The whole point of this ban is to stop annoying other people yet nobody wants to inconvenience these passengers who just completely ignore the ban and of course because its Ireland security can't do a thing about it. Being stranded and drunk in Carlow for the night wouldn't be long waking these people up.

AFAIK the final decision rests with the train driver and I often think that they don't want the hassle of it and them not getting home on time.

I don't have a major problem with people drinking but its more the principal of what IE are doing, no drink allowed on trains, yet passengers are allowed drink anyways. Either have the ban or don't. When people booking these groups online or by phone they are not even told about the ban so most don't know about it until they are on the train.

[grainne whale]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Would love to know that answer to.

Take yesterday afternoon, another group on the 18.05 who by the looks were refused or missed an earlier train so they took the 6.05. They were allowed to drink for the whole journey. Yet drink is not to be consumed, in fairness to the security they stood in the middle of the carriage with them for the whole journey.

Now why were the guards not got to take them off the train, yes it can delay the train but if they were called once they started drinking when we left Kilkenny and say they would take them off in Carlow, that gives them 25 minutes or so to try and get people to the station and not delay the train.

Do IE get charged for a guards call out when its not an emergency? and why are they always so reluctant to kick people off, like if security were to mind these passengers on every train they would need 30 or 40 on each service. The whole point of this ban is to stop annoying other people yet nobody wants to inconvenience these passengers who just completely ignore the ban and of course because its Ireland security can't do a thing about it. Being stranded and drunk in Carlow for the night wouldn't be long waking these people up.

AFAIK the final decision rests with the train driver and I often think that they don't want the hassle of it and them not getting home on time.

I don't have a major problem with people drinking but its more the principal of what IE are doing, no drink allowed on trains, yet passengers are allowed drink anyways. Either have the ban or don't. When people booking these groups online or by phone they are not even told about the ban so most don't know about it until they are on the train.

It sounds like there is a need for Transport Police, those Stazi have only the same rights of arrest as an ordinary citizen.

[Thomas J Stamp]

We have long campaigned for a transport police and it is the first thing we lobby for come election times Given what is being done to the gardai at the moment I wouldnt be holding my breath.

We have done a model of how it can work on DART/Luas and Commuter trains but when it comes to inter-city its a lot harder. What do you do when the train is stopping in places which no longer have a garda station and only one car on patrol?

[Jamie2k9]

We have long campaigned for a transport police and it is the first thing we lobby for come election times Given what is being done to the gardai at the moment I wouldnt be holding my breath.

We have done a model of how it can work on DART/Luas and Commuter trains but when it comes to inter-city its a lot harder. What do you do when the train is stopping in places which no longer have a garda station and only one car on patrol?

What do IE think about transport police, do they support it?

If only IE were not so deep in the red and had some spare cash they could set up their own transport police for Dublin area mainly but have them operate some intercity service when required.

The DAA fund their own airport police service.

Leo Varadkar knows well there is major security problems on transport in Dublin but shows no signs of doing anything about it. A question was put to him about Luas security and what will happen when Corss City opens and TBH his response was SFA will be done and nothing will change.

Its simple the security companies for transport companies only need to be given more power to remove people from trains physically without being in trouble for doing it or transport police are needed. Antio social behaviour is only going to increase.

I would almost go an say that STT ones on the Luas have being cut back a lot recently. Same with RPU's lads for a good few weeks there was checks every 5 minutes on the Luas and I have not being checked at all recently.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

What do IE think about transport police, do they support it?

Individual managers in both Irish Rail and the RPA have made supportive sounds.

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Individual managers in both Irish Rail and the RPA have made supportive sounds.

At least they support it.

Was on the 15.10 on Friday, security on baord the service, extra security on the platform watching out for people they expected were carrying drink onboard. Every passenger were issued with leaflets about the ban.

I didn't expect them to have such a setup. AFAIK there was a problem on the 13.10 service which caused a slight delay but nothing major.

[Jamie2k9]

This ban is likely to be increased on services on Fridays and extend into Saturday's.