Black driver attacks conductors: rail attacks continue to rise!

Black driver attacks conductors: rail attacks continue to rise!

At the Linz Central Station, a terrifying incident occurred, which illustrates the persistent problem of violence against rail and bus staff. A 23-year-old conductor from Wels carried out a ticket check when the passenger could not show a valid ticket. The passenger has an additional payment by ATM card, but a little later there was an assault. According to information from Kosmo , the conductor was thrown by the passenger, black hair, a dark skin color and a brown jacket, thrown against a tract section and with a headstep and a stranger. The perpetrator fled after the attack, the conductor was brought to the Wels Clinic with injuries of an undetermined degree.

The police immediately initiated search measures, but the attacker has so far remained unidentified. This incident is not an isolated case. According to Tagesschau , a total of 276 attacks on rail and bus staff were recorded in 2023. In this context, Stern that the number of violent attacks on employees of Deutsche Bahn in trains and at train stations in 2024 has increased to around 3,300 corresponds to an increase of about six percent compared to the previous year.

increasing violence against rail staff

The train staff in regional traffic is particularly affected, which according to railway chief Richard Lutz can be regarded as a mirror of social developments. Around half of the attacks are directed against this staff. Other employees, such as cleaning staff, service staff at the train station and customer advisors and bus drivers, are often the goal of attacks. Lutz described violence against train employees as unacceptable and emphasized that the security of the staff has top priority.

In order to counteract this concern for concern, ÖBB has started to take preventive measures. The measures include training in de-escalation techniques, the use of bodycams and the provision of additional security forces in particularly endangered areas, such as Kosmo reports. The bodycams, which are gradually used in local transport from 2024 and on a voluntary basis, have already proven themselves. They are used for both security forces and train staff.

quick help in an emergency

Another important aspect is the provision of an emergency pressure button, the so-called Prio call, which enables the staff to quickly call help in an emergency. These technical measures are intended to help increase security for employees in rail traffic and to minimize the risk of attacks.

The continued high figures for attacks on rail and bus staff present the entire industry with major challenges. It is to be hoped that the measures taken will help improve security and reduce violence before further incidents like that in Linz.