virgin t-total morning service

[woody505]

The 09:52 service from Aberdeen to London King's Cross, Fridays only from 2 October, will be an alcohol free train until Newcastle. You will not be able to bring alcohol in any form, onto the train, or consume it whilst on board. This policy has been put in place to ensure that all of our customers can enjoy a more pleasant journey.


How bad can that train be that it has to go alcohol free at 9.52am?

 

[Mojo]

This has been a 'dry train' on and off since 2013.

These two threads might provide you more information as regards to why:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=83914
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91054

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Just out of curiosity, assume I did some shopping and brought some of Scotlands only export worth selling and did not know about this dry train? Would I still be able to bring my bottles onboard or would they rebook me for another train if it was packed in my luggage deep down

 

[reb0118]

Your alcohol would be confiscated and later dished out as a complementary bevvy to our esteemed member for Falkirk West Butts on one of his many fact finding tours of random Northern English market towns.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

He can Butts out of it!

Joking aside, what would happen? Had this happen once on an EMT train up from London and I was okay with them

 

[dk1]

This train has had issues for a long time. I would suggest 09:52 is rather a late start for some, they should visit Glasgow more often. The issues here are something to to with Oil workers returning after a dry period offshore I seem to recall. Bit like working on the railway, you binge when you can.

 

[glenbogle]

There has been big problems on this train with Stag and Hen parties going to Newcastle becoming very rowdy hence the drink ban.
As far as I know you can take drink on but you're not allowed to consume it until after Newcastle.

 

[kermit]

I don't know how rules about carrying, rather than consuming, alcohol on "dry" trains are formulated or enforced, but it seems to me that a reasonable interpretation would be to forbid the carriage of unsealed or open containers of alcohol - so staff have leverage to stop people drinking on the train.

Otherwise you're just going to be imposing wholesale bans on people taking their shopping home.

 

[DarloRich]

Just out of curiosity, assume I did some shopping and brought some of Scotlands only export worth selling and did not know about this dry train? Would I still be able to bring my bottles onboard or would they rebook me for another train if it was packed in my luggage deep down

not this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The police are not going to mind if you have a sealed container in your bag. They aren't going to search your bags unless you give them reason to despite what some of the more wibbilistic posters might have you think.

there are loads of ways round an alcohol ban anyway

 

[sng7]

The wording on the scotrail alcohol ban (21:00-10:00 Every day) is that no visible alcohol is allowed, stuff in bags is fine. And i would expect this to be the same

 

[najaB]

Just out of curiosity, assume I did some shopping and brought some of Scotland's only export worth selling...

What have Scott Bros. steak and gravy pies got to do with an alcohol ban?

Speaking of fine single malt (none of that blended rubbish), as long as it's not visible or easily accessible you wouldn't have a problem. Alcohol doesn't case behavioural problems while it's still in the bottle.

 

[stut]

Steak and gravy? Away with ye, mutton is the only meat that should be in a pie in Scotland...

But yes, the Aberdeen trains are popular with riggers who haven't had a bevvy in weeks. They used to get rather, er, colourful.

 

[sprinterguy]

The last time I travelled down from Aberdeen, I thought that Virgin East Coast did admirably at discouraging anyone from drinking by having nothing better on the trolley than cans of flippin' Deuchars.

Clearly most passengers don't share my high standards (weeks on a rig gasping for a bevvy will surely do that), and they've got a decent ale (and cider, brought over from the VWC operation) on board now anyway, so even I don't have to go thirsty (where permitted to do so).

 

[yorkie]

How bad can that train be that it has to go alcohol free at 9.52am?

You've not met some of the oil rig workers who take these trains then?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Just out of curiosity, assume I did some shopping and brought some of Scotlands only export worth selling and did not know about this dry train? Would I still be able to bring my bottles onboard or would they rebook me for another train if it was packed in my luggage deep down

If it's kept out of view and you are not acting in a drunken way you are unlikely to be searched so you should be OK. If you were seen with it then it would be confiscated or you could choose not to travel. Whether or not they would let an Advance ticket holder travel on a later train, I do not know.

 

[najaB]

Whether or not they would let an Advance ticket holder travel on a later train, I do not know.

From a theoretical point of view, if the ticket was bought after the alcohol ban was announced I can't see any reason why they should. If it was bought pre-ban then morally they should allow travel on a later train.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Just out of curiosity, assume I did some shopping and brought some of Scotlands only export worth selling and did not know about this dry train?

You'd be allowed to keep your haggis, yes

 

[800001]

The 09:52 service from Aberdeen to London King's Cross, Fridays only from 2 October, will be an alcohol free train until Newcastle. You will not be able to bring alcohol in any form, onto the train, or consume it whilst on board. This policy has been put in place to ensure that all of our customers can enjoy a more pleasant journey.


How bad can that train be that it has to go alcohol free at 9.52am?

I've travelled on that train, absolutely rowdy!!! Btp travelled on the train from Aberdeen as far south as Newcastle where vast majority of the rowdy people left.
Cleaning crew got on at Newcastle, and when I alighted at Darlington, the amount of rubbish they removed from train must of amounted to about 10 bags, mostly full of lager cans and bottles

 

[berneyarms]

The issue really revolves around people bringing large amounts of cans and bottles on board, and then consuming alcohol on board the train, rather than someone with something packed away in their luggage for consumption at a later date.

A bit of common sense and perspective is needed here.

 

[paul1609]

I was based in Rosyth Naval Base in the early 1990s. We used to offer a can of our lager to the oil rig workers heading south on Friday lunchtime safe in the knowledge that once the buffet reopened after Edinbugh they would insist on buying you expensive br drinks for the rest of the journey.

 

[sheff1]

From a theoretical point of view, if the ticket was bought after the alcohol ban was announced I can't see any reason why they should. If it was bought pre-ban then morally they should allow travel on a later train.

As this train has been dry for years, I doubt anyone has a ticket bought before the ban was announced.

 

[BestWestern]

So an oil rig is a completely booze-free zone? Something new (and overly relevant on a personal level!) learnt today!

 

[IanXC]

So an oil rig is a completely booze-free zone? Something new (and overly relevant on a personal level!) learnt today!

It is indeed!

 

[ainsworth74]

It is indeed!

Makes sense though. They aren't renowned for being the most safe of working environments so mixing that with alcohol would seem like a bad idea...

 

[me123]

Absolutely makes sense to have no alcohol on a rig.

How bad can that train be that it has to go alcohol free at 9.52am?

You've obviously never been to Aberdeen, a city with such a disgusting attitude towards alcohol that even I (as a Glaswegian) was shocked. There is a huge alcohol problem in the city. It's very common for people to board a train in Aberdeen and keep drinking until they reach their destination, at all times of the day. This is particularly true on people who have come off the oil rig who have been "dry" for 2-3 weeks and basically go wild.

 

[IanXC]

You've obviously never been to Aberdeen, a city with such a disgusting attitude towards alcohol that even I (as a Glaswegian) was shocked. There is a huge alcohol problem in the city. It's very common for people to board a train in Aberdeen and keep drinking until they reach their destination, at all times of the day. This is particularly true on people who have come off the oil rig who have been "dry" for 2-3 weeks and basically go wild.

You could not be closer to the truth!

FWIW for a while the 0752 was also listed as a dry train...

Also worth pointing out in a Scottish context that the ScotRail alcohol ban comes into force at 2100 and lasts until 1000...

 

[najaB]

Makes sense though. They aren't renowned for being the most safe of working environments so mixing that with alcohol would seem like a bad idea...

And even outside of the immediate working environment, the crew are in are very close quarters with little in the way of personal space so the last thing you need is to add alcohol to the mix.

 

[mrmartin]

Would another option not be to ban the drinking of booze not bought on the train (much like on flights) during these times?

That way less rowdy passengers can still drink, and the buffet can refuse people that are already absolutely hammered. Might be difficult to enforce for the person selling at first but planes, pubs and bars do it all the time. Usually its people drinking loads of wines and spirits really quickly that cause the problems, even someone starting drinking lager/cider/ale at 10am in the morning isn't going to be totally out of control in 3 hours. Drinking a couple of bottles of wine or loads of strong spirits & mixers will cause the problems.

 

[47271]

I often catch the 0915 from Perth to Queen Street, a train that starts out from Inverurie around 7am. Before the Scotrail ban I was regularly amazed by the amount of booze getting consumed. Oil workers yes, but more often groups of women on a wee trip to Glasgow. So you arrive in the city floored by three hours worth of vodka at quarter past ten in the morning, what do with yourself for the rest of the day?!

Maybe it was a coincidence, but I never saw it on the early trains starting from Inverness. I've never seen, or heard of, trouble on the Chieftain either.

I agree with the comments above, a disproportionate number of those living in and around Aberdeen seem to have problems with alcohol and their behaviour arising from it.

 

[najaB]

Would another option not be to ban the drinking of booze not bought on the train (much like on flights) during these times?

Effectively that's what it is currently as the onboard stock doesn't go far among riggers who have just returned from offshore.

 

[exile]

A Buckfast-free zone.