Accidents on UK trains involving alcohol nearly double during festive season

It comes at a time when more people take the trains, for Christmas markets, a night out or shopping, who may want to enjoy a drink - and it highlights the pitfalls of consuming too much alcohol while using the railway.

Dave Whitehouse, director of safety, security and environment at Avanti West Coast, who are releasing a low-alcohol beer as part of a safety campaign, ‘Safety Thirst’, said: “We want the railway to be the transport of choice when people are heading out to enjoy themselves during the festive season.

“And while our customers are out on the network, we want them to be safe too.

“This time of year, our network is busier and our staff are on hand to help everyone get to their destination safely.

“The Safety Thirst campaign is a great reminder to drink responsibly to create a more enjoyable travel experience for everyone taking a journey with us as well as our colleagues.”

By drinking responsibly people will stay safe

The initiative, backed by RSSB, will include a 0.5 per cent ale stocked onboard the intercity operator’s trains to encourage those enjoying festivities to drink responsibly while travelling on the rail network.

Served in a bold, vibrant can, the limited-edition brew has been created in partnership with Birmingham Brewing Company, who are local to the West Coast Main Line, and is based on their award-winning low-alcohol pale ale, Sober Brummie.

Mark Phillips, CEO at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) said: “This is a fantastic initiative by Avanti West Coast.

“Every year in the run-up to Christmas, our data shows an increase in passengers being injured after enjoying a little too much seasonal hospitality.

“Everyone should enjoy themselves, but by drinking responsibly they will stay safe and help reduce pressure on the railway at one of its busiest times.”

This initiative will be the second phase of Avanti’s West Coast’s “Take care. Get there” campaign which aims to help customers navigate railway stations safely, launched in August.

It saw the train operator personify parts of station buildings through bespoke artwork to highlight how they improve safety. It was created with the help of behavioural scientist, Richard Shotton.