Germany: The Dangers of Train Travel in Germany

A few days ago, we reported on the murder of a train ticket conductor in Germany at the hands of a passenger who had no ticket. At the time, the German media reported that the suspect, who is in custody, was a Greek national. It has subsequently been reported that he is a Syrian.

A just-released report by BILD am Sonntag (Bild on Sunday) describes just how dangerous it is to ride on German trains and pass through major German train stations due to the high number of violent incidents. The report also states that foreigners are represented among the perpetrators at a number above their percentage of the population. The below article from Deutsche Welle is translated by Fousesquawk. Note that the article refers to the murder of the train conductor but still calls the suspect a Greek national.  

Several thousand violent crimes on trains and at train stations.

13 hours ago

The deadly attack on a train conductor in Germany has led to outrage. A report now lists documented crimes such as knife-and sexual crimes.

Caption: Employees of the railway and federal police pay tribute to the dead train conductor in Frankfurt (Hessen) on February 4, 2026.

On trains and in train stations in Germany in the past year, there have been more than 980 knife attacks and around 2,200 sexual crimes that have been documented. That is reported by BILD on Sunday newspaper and is based on numbers from the Federal Police. In addition, 5,660 violent crimes were recorded against federal railway police officers. In 2024, the number was slightly lower. A spokesperson for the German railway said these numbers do not include some 15,000 verbal attacks-including spitting (at officers). 

Main hotspot: Leipzig train station

According to the report, the main train station of the Saxon city of Leipzig had a lot of violence. There, 859 violent crimes were reported. That is followed by the main train stations of Dortmund (735), Berlin (654), Cologne (648), Hannover (612), Munich (553), Nuremberg (528), Frankfurt am Main (520), and Düsseldorf (499). The report also stated that non-German suspects were detected more frequently, based on their percentage of the population, than German suspects.

Caption: Entrance hall of Leipzig Main Train Station.

 At the beginning of February, a train conductor was attacked by a passenger during a ticket check on a regional train in the federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz. The 36-year-old died from his serious injuries shortly afterward in a hospital. The suspect is in pre-trial custody. According to the State Prosecutor’s Office, he is a 26-year-old Greek citizen, who, according to some reports, lives in Luxembourg.

Bodycams for all rail employees

As a consequence, top representatives from federal, state, and German Rail agreed on concrete safety measures at a summit on Friday. Thus, all employees who have contact with customers will receive cameras, so-called Bodycams, by the end of 2026, as Railway CEO Evelyn Palla, announced in Berlin. In additional 200 more employees will be hired for added security.

Improvements in protective equipment are also planned. Rail employees will also be given intensive behavioral and de-escalation training. An emergency button to get rapid assistance in emergency situations will be further developed. At the next transport minister conference at the beginning of March, further consequences will be discussed.