Brutal knife robbery in Vienna's U6 – police are asking for information!

Brutal knife robbery in Vienna's U6 – police are asking for information!

There was a brutal robbery of a 24-year-old man on the U6 subway line in Vienna. The incident occurred at the end of December last year, specifically on December 29, 2024, at around 4:30 am. Two unknown men were involved in the attack, with one of the perpetrators threatening the victim with a knife and forcing him to hand over his cell phone and headphones. The second man, who acted as a “watchdog,” stayed in the background during the attack crown reported.

Both perpetrators left the subway at Josefstädter Straße station and fled in an unknown direction. The Vienna police have published photographs of the suspects and are asking the public for any relevant information. You can contact us at 01-31310-43800. The description of the perpetrator is as follows: The main perpetrator is between 20 and 25 years old, has a slim build, a narrow face, dark hair and a thick full beard. The accomplice could also be in the same age group and has dark blonde hair.

Rising crime in the subway

This incident is part of a worrying development in the Vienna subway, where several robberies and physical attacks have been recorded in recent weeks. A survey was conducted to determine passengers' sense of security. The Wiener Linien has responded to the increased crime by increasing video surveillance on the trains. 75% of subway trains are now equipped with surveillance cameras, and a total of 4,500 cameras are in use. A budget of 1.2 million euros was made available in 2013 to expand video surveillance in order to increase the feeling of security. Vienna.at highlights that the issue of crime in the Vienna subway is increasingly coming into focus.

In order to counteract the increasing number of incidents, patrols on the subway, especially on the U6, have been increased. The cooperation between the police and the Wiener Linien was described as successful. For example, in 2012 a collaboration was documented in which video recordings were made available 2,013 times.

In emergencies, Wiener Linien encourages passengers to visit the “SOS cube” and make the emergency call. If an emergency train stop is necessary, there are mechanisms to stop the subway in the immediate area and to connect the emergency call button to the subway control center.

The statistics show a decrease in robberies and thefts in the subway compared to previous years. However, passenger safety remains a key concern that needs to be continually monitored and improved. In this context, it is important that the public helps identify the perpetrators in order to prevent such incidents in the future.

In summary, this robbery not only shows the dangers in urban transport, but also highlights the need for increased security measures and close cooperation between transport companies and the police.