Rail operator Merseyrail carries 110,000 passengers every weekday and says people who flout the ban face possible fines. Tony McDonough reports

Merseyrail is banning smoking at all of its stations from December 1 – with vaping and e-cigarettes also prohibited.

Smoking has been banned on board trains and in underground stations for a number of years but from next month  passengers will not be allowed to smoke in any public areas of its stations or platforms, with the exception of car parks.

The move comes off the back of the national Stoptober campaign, and is part of Merseyrail’s commitment to cleaner air and the comfort of its passengers across the network.

Vaping and e-cigarettes are also included in the ban, and Merseyrail staff and byelaw enforcement officers will be actively requesting passengers to stop smoking on platforms and other areas of stations from December. Warnings will be issued to anyone smoking on platforms on December 1, however those that continue may be fined from January 1, 2020.

Andy Heath, managing director of Merseyrail, which carries 100,000 passengers every weekday, said: “The comfort of passengers on our network is absolutely paramount to us, so I am pleased to announce a smoking ban across all of our stations and platforms.

“Those who wish to smoke will be able to do so in station car parks or off station property, however we want all passengers to be able to use our trains and stations comfortably and without the risks of passive smoking, such as lung cancer, asthma and pneumonia.”