Published at 08:57, Saturday, 05 November 2011

There can be no excuse for, and no tolerance of the drunken, violent behaviour which often scars the last train back from Newcastle to Carlisle.

Passengers are too often terrified to travel. Children can be on the late train if they have been to a concert in Newcastle. It must be a nightmare journey for them as well as others.

In an age where we are encouraged to use public transport, somebody has to take responsbility for making it safer.

Trains can often be overcrowded, making it difficult to escape any trouble. That is something for Northern Rail to sort out.

But drunken idiots, some of them seemingly banned from pubs in Carlisle, maybe west Cumbria too, are making that journey week in, week out, and they need to be stopped in their tracks.

Whether extra security is provided on trains, the British Transport Police takes a much stronger stand, or courts come down more harshly on offenders, something needs to be done – and now.

In reality, a combination of all these measures is likely to be needed, otherwise the service is likely to be taken away from the innocent people who need it most.

Or another scenario, some very, very serious injuries are likely to result from an incident on the last train home.

There has to be a fully-integrated plan to force a zero tolerance approach – and that should happen immediately.

Innocent passengers and rail workers deserve better.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk