Overview
- An EVG survey of about 4,000 members reports two-thirds feel increasingly unsafe at work, half have suffered a physical assault, and 85% of customer-facing staff have faced insults, threats or abuse.
- Nearly one in three respondents is considering quitting because of insecurity and attacks, a trend the union says could trigger widespread train and bus cancellations if unaddressed.
- Deutsche Bahn points to a recent security summit that approved 200 additional DB Sicherheit posts, improved protective gear, tighter cooperation with the federal police, emergency buttons for staff and de-escalation training.
- State leaders backed nationwide video monitoring with audio recording for public transport and discussed adding a photo to the Deutschlandticket to reduce confrontational ID checks, with calls to prioritize safety in transit funding.
- Reported assaults on rail staff more than doubled from roughly 1,500 in 2014 to over 3,000 in 2023, with attention intensified by the February killing of 36-year-old conductor Serkan Çalar after a fare evasion dispute.