Kissing banned at UK station

[John Ashworth]

Kissing banned at railway station

Couples have been banned from kissing at Warrington Bank Quay Station because it holds up commuters.

By Paul Stokes
Telegraph
Last Updated: 11:39AM GMT 16 Feb 2009

The (sic) means an end to passionate platform scenes like the one between Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in the 1945 film Brief Encounter.

No-kissing signs have appeared in the taxi rank at Warrington Bank Quay Station forcing lovers to use designated areas only.

The signs were erected after concerns that passionate embraces were causing delays for commuters with more passengers being attracted there.

Warrington Bank Quay is believed to be the first in the country to put up such signs.

Ruth Sargeant, 38, who uses the station to travel to Manchester, said: "It's ridiculous. I don't see the point of having a no-kissing area, surely people are entitled to say their goodbyes."

And Tom Hall, 25, another commuter, said: "It's daft. What are they going to do if they catch couples kissing, fine them?"

In the film Brief Encounter, which was filmed at Carnforth station in Lancashire, the doomed lovers played by Johnson and Howard, say their final goodbye at a railway station.

The no kissing signs are part of the £650,000 station refurbishment funded by Virgin Trains, Network Rail, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Department for Transport.

They are working in partnership with Warrington Borough Council's plans to improve the forecourt.

The idea of no-kissing signs was first suggested by Colin Daniels, chief executive of the Warrington Chamber of Commerce.

He said: "It was all a bit of fun. But now Virgin Trains have agreed to put them up as part of the refurbishment.

"They may seem frivolous but there is a serious message underneath."

Virgin say the station has become "increasingly busy" since the introduction of their Pendolino trains between London and Glasgow and Super Voyager trains between Birmingham and Scotland.

A Virgin spokesman said: "It's just a quirky thing, it's nothing more than that.. It's a light-hearted way of getting the message across.

"We are trying to tell people not to wait too long in the drop-off, but we don't mind people waiting there for a short time."

Asked how the no-kissing rule would be enforced, he added: "We will apply this sensibly."

[John Ashworth]

Kissing allowed, passengers told

10th February 2009, 01:57 pm
Press Association
Yahoo News

A sign informing rail passengers kissing is welcome has been put up at a train station days after a ban was imposed at another stop.

The notice placed at the entrance to High Wycombe station in Buckinghamshire shows a cartoon couple in a pink heart sharing an embrace and tells customers: "Kissing is welcome here!"

It was put up after revelations earlier this week that petting had been outlawed at a passenger drop-off point at Warrington Bank Quay Station in Cheshire because it holds up commuters.

No-kissing signs appeared in the taxi rank forcing couples to use "designated areas" only.

But in High Wycombe, passion is being encouraged by train operator Chiltern Railways which stated on the poster: "Unlike other train companies, we would never dream of banning kissing at our stations."

The operator, which serves the station, is even now running a competition to find their most romantic passengers.

Kirsteen Robertson, of Chiltern Railways, said: "Railway stations are romantic places. They are where fond farewells and emotional reunions take place, where relationships start with a glance and even, in the case of our Marylebone station last November, where one passenger will propose to another over the public address system.

"So our passengers are more than welcome to share a kiss in our stations."

Chiltern Railways, which runs services between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone, is now encouraging passengers to send in pictures of them kissing at one of their stations.

The couple in the winning photograph will win free travel to and from London and a romantic champagne afternoon tea at London's Landmark Hotel.

[John Ashworth]

There's a picture of the "no kissing" sign here!