The number of attacks on Deutsche Bahn staff rose in the first half of 2026. As a result, DB Regio will trial audio recording via bodycams from this autumn onwards to improve staff safety and facilitate the documentation of criminal offences.
During a meeting with the Federal Minister of Transport, Steffen Bilger, on 10 August, DB Regio’s CEO, Harmen van Zijderveld, presented new figures on attacks on the railway company’s staff, as well as the measures taken to improve safety on trains.
“The figures confirm what our staff experience almost daily: they are insulted, spat at, struck and assaulted. It is all the more saddening when we consider the passion with which they carry out and live their profession. Audio recording via bodycams represents another important step towards improving safety. This helps prevent conflicts from escalating, but also plays a huge part in identifying and investigating criminal offences,” said the CEO of DB Regio AG.
In the first half of 2026, a total of 989 attacks on DB Regio staff were recorded. Of these, 781 cases were classified as minor bodily harm, such as shoving, grabbing or spitting, whilst a further 185 cases involved attempted bodily harm.
Unfortunately, 22 employees were victims of serious physical assaults. One case that has remained in the collective memory is the death of Serkan Çalar earlier this year.
“The figures themselves, as well as the accounts given by railway staff, are shocking. Faced with this trend affecting society as a whole, we must not succumb to shock and passivity, but must react together, calmly yet resolutely. Because safety on trains is not a marginal issue. It is a fundamental prerequisite for a functioning public transport system. This makes it all the more important that Deutsche Bahn staff are as well-equipped as possible to carry out their duties. They are the ones who ensure the daily mobility of millions of people. For this, I express my respect and gratitude to them,” said Minister Steffen Bilger.
DB Regio is trialling audio recording via bodycams
In an initial phase, audio recording will be trialled in the Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz region, starting no later than 1 October 2026, for a period of two months.
The Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officer for the state of Hesse is involved in and kept informed about the process of introducing the system through the Deutsche Bahn Group’s data protection and security structures.
Once this pilot phase has concluded, the company intends to move straight on to the second stage, which involves the gradual roll-out of the system nationwide in Germany.
To achieve this objective, Deutsche Bahn has already implemented a series of measures:
- Equipping staff on regional and long-distance rail services with bodycams;
- pilot projects for one-to-one escorting, in which ticket inspectors are accompanied by another person with security training, as well as the introduction of two-person teams in customer services;
- the use of inspection teams, comprising 6–8 staff members, who simultaneously check passengers on a train;
- the expansion of personal protective equipment through the introduction of stab-resistant vests for staff carrying out inspections and protective helmets for the Mobile Support Group;
- in addition to introducing the option to record audio when the bodycam is activated and linking the priority emergency call system – activated via a button on the wristband – to the bodycam, the company is also exploring the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI).
Furthermore, Deutsche Bahn has launched, in conjunction with the German federal government, a national campaign to promote respect on public transport.
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