Train attendant threatened with a knife: dramatic escape to the driver's cab!

Train attendant threatened with a knife: dramatic escape to the driver's cab!

On April 19, 2025, SBB train came to a threatening incident, which once again puts the problem of violence against train staff in the light. A 39-year-old Turkish citizen was expelled from the train by a train attendant because he could not show a valid ticket. The man then reacted in an extremely aggressive way and pulled a knife to threaten the train attendant.

The train attendant flee into the driver's cab and alerted the police through a window. Officials from the Landstrasse City Police Command quickly arrived at the scene. When the attacker was asked to empty his bags, he angry the knife on the floor. The incident ended with the fact that the 39-year-old was reported for dangerous threats and a temporary ban on weapons was issued against him, as Exxpress.at reports .

violence in public transport

This incident is not isolated and reflects a bigger problem that affects the SBB staff. A current analysis shows that an average of ten attacks per day are reported to SBB staff. This worrying statistics was published in an article on 20min.ch and indicates how risky the working conditions for train attendants are.

In the past there have been several serious incidents. A particularly dramatic case occurred two years ago when a 63-year-old train attendant at the Basel train station was passed out. Reports of misogyny and personal attacks, such as spitting or slapping, increase the feeling of uncertainty among the train attendants, especially among the female colleagues. A 55-year-old train attendant who has 34 years of experience describes society as increasingly selfish and superficial.

initiatives of SBB

In order to counteract the increase in violence in public transport, the SBB has launched the "Together Together Respectfully" campaign. The aim of this initiative is to raise awareness of respectful behavior and reduce aggression in public transport. Despite these measures, the number of attacks on staff has remained stable in recent years, which underlines the challenge that SBB faces.

The current situation illustrates the need to better protect train staff and to actively combat abuses in public transport. The dramatic events like the last incident are an urgent appeal to sharpen the security measures and social awareness.