Alighting the train, fresh from partying in Dunedin, rugby fans were at risk of driving drunk, Ms Tait believed.
The availability of the train for part of their journey aided a false perception in fans they were "footloose".
It was unfortunate the special service did not go all the way to Palmerston, she said.
Police were likely to be focused on patrolling party spots in Dunedin, rather than checking for drink-drivers, she believed.
Buses must be organised to take fans home when they disembarked at Waitati, she said.
"If I'm driving home on that road I don't want to be killed by a drink-driver ... and I don't want a drink-driver to kill themselves."
Because rugby and alcohol were associated, it was probably the local rugby clubs' responsibility to organise buses, rather than the council or community board, she said.
The community board had hoped the trains, which on match days would run from Mosgiel to Waitati, stopping at the Dunedin Railway Station, would go all the way to Palmerston, Ms Tait said.
Board chairman Gerard Collings was disappointed the train did not continue to Palmerston, making a stop at Waikouaiti, but he understood that would have doubled the cost.
It was up to fans to get themselves home safely, he said.
Dunedin City Council Rugby World Cup co-ordinator Debra Simes said cost and logistical issues, including train drivers' shifts and driver availability, made it difficult to run the Taieri Gorge Railway trains to Palmerston.
The council was working with "stakeholders", including the Eastern Rugby Club at Waikouaiti, to encourage them to organise a safe way for fans to get home. Communities were set to reap huge benefits from the event, and needed to share responsibility for safe transport.
Eastern Rugby Club captain Randy Tupaea said the club was considering organising buses, and had to find out more about what that involved.
Dunedin area police tactical response manager Inspector Alastair Dickie said police had not thought of the potential drink-driving issue at Waitati, but would "plug that hole" by sending a traffic alcohol group to oversee disembarking fans.
"I appreciate it's been highlighted. It's something we've not considered."
It would be sensible for the council or a community group to organise buses, he said.
Stopping drink-driving was always a priority, no matter what else was happening, Insp Dickie said. Extra traffic policing resources from Otago and Southland were already planned to help in Dunedin while the city was hosting games.
