Football teams raise ruckus on train

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 1

Football teams raise ruckus on train

The police boarded the north-bound Soi therner rail express three times last evening after complaints about the drunken antics of two rugby teams. One passenger said after the train arrived in Christchurch that other passengers were “terrorised.” The police confirmed that a constable had ridden on the train from Rakaia to Christchurch at the request of the guard after the emergency stop cord had been • ulled at Fairton, Bkm north of Ashburton.

The Southerner finally arrived in Christchurcn one hour and 15 minutes late, but no arrests had been made by late last evening.

One of the rugby teams was from Invercargill, and the other from Dunedin, according to Sergeant N. Birse, of the Ashburton police. He declined to name the teams, but said they were believed to be on “some sort of social trip to Christchurch.” The police first boarded the Southerner at Timaru as a result of complaints about drunkenness and abusive language used by some of the rugby players. No-one was taken oif, and the train resumed its journey.

At Ashburton, as a result of further complaints, the Southerner was boarded by a sergeant and three constables. It was delayed there tor 33 minutes. “We had a close look, but could find nothing which constituted an offence,” said Sergeant Birse. , .

At Fairton, the train was halted for eight minutes after a passenger pulled the emergency stop cord, which automatical!v applies the train’s air brakes.

After that, the guard asked that the police meet the train at Rakaia, and ride it through to Christchurch. One constable from Ashburton boarded the train after travelling to Rakaia by car. The two rugby teams left the train at Christchurch station.

A Railways Department spokesman said that the complaints had been about “drunkenness, abusive language, and generally playing up.” He said it was believed that some passengers had bought privately large quantities of the brands of canned be. • which are sold in the Southerner’s buffet car.

“We thought the police could have taken a firmer hand,” the spokesman said.

Sergeant Birse said the incident was the worst of its type in his experience since ttie' “Ranfurly Shield trains”' in Southland and Otago up to the 19505.