Christmas revellers are being urged to “keep a clear head” on the rail network after shocking footage showed people stumbling on to tracks.
Accidents involving drunken passengers spike during the festive period with drunken passengers misusing level crossings and suffering trips and slips on platforms, stairs and escalators.
Mad Friday – when many people fill pubs, bars and clubs on the last Friday before Christmas – falls on December 22 this year, and December 15 is also expected to be a popular night for partygoers.
Around one in six of the 7,419 drink-related incidents on Britain’s railways in 2016/17 took place between November 24 and January 2, British Transport Police (BTP) figures show.
BTP and Network Rail are holding alcohol awareness events at Britain’s busiest stations in the run-up to Christmas and targeting people in pubs near stations.
Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail, warned that the railway “can be a dangerous place”.
He said: “We’re reminding the public to remain alert whilst they’re having fun over the festive season.
“Taking a short cut across the tracks, chancing it at level crossings or tripping at the platform edge can at best cause delays to your journey – at worse it can result in serious harm.
“Enjoy yourself but don’t let alcohol stop you or your fellow passengers from getting to where you need to be. Keep a clear head.”
Twenty-one people have been killed and 91 seriously injured in alcohol-related incidents at platform edges over the past decade.
BTP is also stepping up patrols at railway stations due to a rise in physical attacks.
The number of violent offences reported at stations in Britain over the festive period last year rose by 14% compared with 2015/16.
Chief inspector John Loveless said the increase was largely due to people drinking too much and “behaving in a way that would shock them and their family and friends if they were sober”.
He went on: “There is no excuse for spoiling other people’s journeys or behaving any differently because you’ve drunk alcohol.”