Enlarge image
Employees of DB Sicherheit are already equipped with them, and in future the train crew will also wear bodycams
Photo: Fabian Strauch / picture alliance / dpa
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is reacting to an increasing number of attacks on its employees: the group announced that a test operation with bodycams has been running in the Black Forest Railway since February, which is to be extended to other regions.
In addition, further protective measures are planned, as well as training courses for railway employees who come into contact with customers.
Video surveillance at train stations is also to be expanded.
According to the information, DB is currently operating around 9,000 video cameras at train stations, and by 2024 there should be 11,000.
Almost 50,000 cameras are already installed in the interiors of almost three quarters of all local and suburban trains.
According to DB, violence against railway employees has increased steadily since 2012.
In 2022, with 3138 cases, there were around 21 percent more attacks than in 2021, when significantly fewer people used trains due to Corona (2021: 2582 cases).
About 30 percent of this can be attributed to the enforcement of the mask requirement.
This was lifted nationwide in February.
Another seven percent of the cases in 2022 were related to the 9-euro ticket, which was valid in June, July and August as a monthly ticket for local public transport (ÖPNV) throughout Germany.
After most official corona protection measures were abolished in 2022, the number of travelers increased significantly over the course of the year.
According to DB information, they have been back to the pre-corona level since the summer, and in some cases they were significantly higher.
The "massive rescheduling of events" and the resurgence in football travel have contributed to the increase in attacks.
sak/dpa