British Transport Police have warned Christmas revellers to behave themselves on trains.
They have also warned that anyone who appears too drunk will run the risk of being refused rail travel.
Extra officers will also be out on patrol at stations this weekend.
Inspector Jonathan Cooze, of British Transport Police, said: “I would encourage people to come in to our towns and cities as they begin to wind down towards Christmas, and we look forward to welcoming visitors using the rail network.
“There are many people who may not use the railway as a mode of transport other than at this time of the year, so make sure you have your travel arrangements in place and particularly know the time of your last train home. Also, look out for your friends and colleagues during the evening.
“While we want everyone to enjoy themselves, we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour or any form of aggression towards rail staff who work hard to keep services running.
“We understand that at this time of year, people will want to let their hair down and, as a .result, may consume a bit more alcohol than they normally would. However, those that do overstep the mark can rest assured that we will not hesitate to take action in tackling anti-social behaviour and drunkenness.
“I’d like to make it very clear that anyone who is not fit to travel, either through being too drunk or by acting aggressively, will be turned away and could find themselves in front of the court.”
Arriva Trains Wales, which operates Wales’s rail stations, is reminding partygoers to take care when using the rail network this weekend.
Customer Services Director Lynne Milligansaid: “The festive period can be a challenging time for frontline rail staff, who have to deal with the rowdy behaviour of some passengers who have been out on their Christmas parties – especially on the last Friday before Christmas.
“The vast majority of people are in good spirits and cause no problems at all, but unfortunately there is a small minority who drink too much, lose control and become a real challenge to deal with. They put their own safety and that of others at risk.
“We have recently relaunched our assaults prevention team to look at how we can minimise risk from antisocial behaviour to our colleagues and passengers.
“We would like to remind partygoers to check the time of their last train home and to ensure they have the correct ticket to travel. We are also encouraging customers to report any incidents they may witness on the rail network. All this information will be used to help us shape our future assault prevention strategy.”
I sympathize with the transport police but implementation of a policy to refuse travel people who appear drunk has implications. It may strand a drunk who has a return ticket miles from home, moving the problem off the railway to the streets. Also are people going to be deemed drunk going to be tested or refused travel on the basis of a subjective decision? This may seem trivial but a local resident I know was refused drink in a pub as he appeared drunk and had slurred speech. In actual fact he is recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumor.
No harm done on this occasion as he left the pub quietly and bought himself a pint at an establishment where he, and his illness, were known. A similar error by Transport Police would have meant a man in poor health being denied the transport he had paid for.
The situation is complex and, as I said, my sympathy is with the Transport Police who are going to be faced with difficult decisions this Christmas.