British Transport Police (BTP) is urging revellers heading to this weekend’s annual Orange Parade to be aware of the dry train policy in place.
Officers will be supporting Merseyrail’s Travelsafe policy and the implementation of byelaw 4 which bans the carriage and consumption of alcohol on its services, with high visibility patrols at key stations.
Inspector Gary Jones, who is coordinating BTP activity at the event said: “We will be assisting Merseyrail and other train operators in the implementation of the dry trains policy. We want to give people plenty of warning that if you buy alcohol for the journey home then it will be money wasted as you will not be able to carry alcohol on any train services in or out of Southport on the day. Anyone deemed too intoxicated will be refused travel as they could be a danger to themselves and to other passengers.
“We want everyone attending this year’s event to have fun and enjoy the parades. However, we would ask those attending to be mindful that, due to the byelaw, should they wish to continue to drink alcohol on their way home they will be refused travel. We are not seizing alcohol; anyone wishing to travel by train will be given the option to leave it behind or find another way home.
“We would advise passengers to be patient and keep an eye on their belongings particularly during increased demands for services.
“And we would remind them to respect other passengers and staff.”
A Merseyrail spokeswoman added: “Safety is our number one priority and while we encourage our customers to enjoy the occasion, people are reminded that they are not allowed to carry alcohol in open containers or consume it anywhere on the network. We know from research that virtually all our passengers support this policy.”
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