Hic! Travelling by train this Christmas?

Northern customers travelling from Bradford Interchange or Manchester Victoria stations will have noticed some unusual activity as they passed through on their way to a night out this weekend.

The party season is very much in full swing and many people are keen to join in the celebrations; that, inevitably, leads to a rise in accidents and incidents on the rail network. So this weekend Northern went out and about to raise awareness of the safety risks of drinking when travelling on the railway.

Northern, the largest train operator outside of London, sent teams to stations on either side of the Pennines on Friday and Saturday to get the safety message out to revellers before they hit the town.

Missing their station on a return journey home is a common problem when partygoers travel by train, so Northern encouraged its customers to get their own, personalised safety message printed out requesting that, should they nod off, they be woken at the appropriate station.

A portable photo booth not only took photos for printing but also shared gif images (short videos or animations) to social media. Passengers were encouraged to share the image to Twitter and Facebook to get the safety message out to everyone travelling the rail network over the weekend.

Northern also spread the safety word before the festivities really got underway by distributing custom printed beermats to bars and cafes local to the departing stations, as well as issuing specially designed ticket holders to those customers purchasing their tickets at the station.

Andrea Jacobs, Health, Safety and Environment Director for Northern, comments: “Safety is an important message all year round, but at this time of year the party season and adverse weather conditions combine to increase the safety risks to an annual high.

“Over the last ten years 25 people have lost their lives and 82 people have been seriously injured in alcohol related incidents on the UK rail network. We want everyone to enjoy the festivities and trains are one of the safest ways to get around but we also want everyone, customers and colleagues alike, to get home safely to their families this Christmas.”

Northern have some top tips to get you home safe and sound. From keeping friends up to date on your movements to grabbing a bottle of water to stay hydrated as you travel, there are plenty of ways to keep safe as you journey home. Also, don’t risk kissing your licence goodbye, leave the car at home, hop on a train the next morning and remember to be nice – our staff have feelings too!

Visit the Northern website for more easy ways to stay safe on your travels: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/safety