Kissing Banned at Railway Station

The 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."