Northern has sent out a warning to those who vape on the train that they may be told to leave if caught.
The train operator has sent out the message to “sly vapers” after it received dozens of complaints over the past year of “inconsiderate individuals vaping in busy carriages and on station platforms”.
Concerns have been raised by 77 passengers in post-journey surveys about vaping since April 2024, while 29 have also submitted written complaints.
A further 59 people have also made complaints to Northern via social media.
Matt Rice, Northern’s chief operating officer, said: “We want to be clear that vaping is not permitted on our trains or at any of our stations.
“We are encouraging people who travel on our services to be considerate of others so everyone can enjoy a pleasant journey.
“Those who are caught vaping may be asked to leave the train by a member of staff and we will not tolerate any abusive or aggressive reactions.”
Vaping has not been permitted onboard Northern services or its stations for over 10 years, since a ban was introduced in 2014.
Northern also notes that it is against the law to smoke on its trains and stations, and those caught can be prosecuted and fined.
However, members of the train crew say that spotting someone ignoring this rule is a daily occurrence. Some report that passengers have become rude and aggressive when asked to stop.
Northern says that its crew see “poor attempts” by passengers to hide vaping on trains by doing it in the toilet or blowing the vapour into footwells and carriage vestibules.
The train operator says that not only does vaping irritate other passengers, but it can also force the train crew to temporarily halt the service if the smoke alarms are set off, which will delay the journey whilst safety checks are carried out.
Northern has encouraged anyone who witnesses any illegal activity to report it to the British Transport Police.
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