Alcohol bans came into force at all German train stations when the clock struck midnight and Thursday began.
All the roughly 5,700 stations across Germanyincluding the train platforms themselves, are now booze-free zones.
Pubs, restaurants and other such hospitality businesses at train stations are exceptions to the rule, though, and can still serve alcohol. Consumption of alcohol will also remain legal on many trains, with long distance ones still serving beers and other tipples at their on-board bistros.
Rail operator German railway says the change aims to make train stations safer and cleaner, and more pleasant places to spend time waiting for a (who knows, perhaps delayed) train.
Various misdemeanors and incidents had prompted discussions on alcohol at stations over the years, but two this year in particular brought the issues into sharp focus.
A 26-year-old security staff member for Deutsche Bahn was beaten and kicked by a drunken passenger when trying to check their ticket. During the struggle the train door buckled and opened, and the Bahn employee fell from the train, suffering severe injuries. Earlier in the year, a train conductor was killed when attacked by a man without a valid ticket.
The new rules are part of DB’s house rules, rather than being criminal law — meaning that at least in the first instance it is a matter for Bahn security staff to enforce rather than police.
“The alcohol consumption ban applies at stations every day, also on days with major events,” Bahn spokeswoman Anja Bröder said when asked about often beer-fueled train usage days, like when football fans flock to Bundesliga games.
Around 40 stations piloted the project for some time prior to its implementation, including some of the largest like Cologne, Munich, Hamburg and Berlin. DB says it has had positive experiences with the early experiments, reporting more peaceful stations with less litter and travelers and employees saying they preferred the atmosphere.
A federal group dedicated to helping the homeless has criticized the measure, however, saying that for homeless people with addiction illnesses, train stations often served as “important, weatherproof and comparatively safe places” to shelter. A spokeswoman also told the Rhenish Post newspaper that if they were driven from sites like train stations, it would be harder for social workers to locate them.
Source: www.dw.com
