Deutsche Bahn increases security following rise in staff assaults

Deutsche Bahn is implementing new security measures following a rise in physical attacks against its staff. DB Regio reported 989 attacks on employees during the first half of 2026, including 22 serious assaults. In response, the company will pilot body cameras equipped with audio recording capabilities in the Rhineland-Palatinate region starting October 1. This technology aims to deter attackers and provide better evidence for prosecutions.

In a related legal development, the Karlsruhe District Court has rejected a prosecutor's request to hold a passenger in pretrial detention regarding a July incident near Ettlingen. During that event, a 26-year-old railway security employee fell from a regional train traveling at 120 km/h and sustained severe injuries following a physical altercation with a passenger. While the court acknowledged suspicion of intentional bodily harm, it denied the request for detention, citing doubts raised by surveillance footage regarding the exact sequence of events.