S9 in focus: Safety incidents in NRW local transport are increasing dramatically!

S9 in focus: Safety incidents in NRW local transport are increasing dramatically!

The safety situation in local public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia is regularly examined more closely. In the current report from the North Rhine-Westphalia Security Competence Center, the S9 is particularly in focus. This connection has an above-average number of “security-related incidents”. With a total of 42,986 incidents in regional rail transport, the number has increased by 11.6 percent compared to the previous year, which concerns not only transport companies but also passengers. Above all, attacks on employees and security forces are serious issues that shape the discussion about safety in the Rhine-Ruhr transport association. Super tip reports alarming statistics, including an increase in verbal abuse and performance fraud, which account for almost half of all incidents.

As Oliver Wittke, spokesman for the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association, emphasizes, safety in local transport is essential. The latest safety report shows that 76.1 percent of incidents are actually crimes: 45.7 percent of them are driving without a valid ticket, and around 20.4 percent are insults. Nevertheless, there are also positive developments that can be seen in this complex situation, such as the decrease in property damage by 754 cases compared to the previous year. VRR highlights that the data situation has increased due to technical advances due to illness, which could counteract the increase in “abnormalities” – such as the consumption of alcohol or drugs.

The nerve-wracking everyday life of travelers

A new eye-catcher in the statistics is the documented incident of the use of weapons - a total of 121 cases, with threats on trains increasing by 17.1 percent. Situations are often tense and security forces are required to take de-escalating measures to ensure the safety of passengers. The deployment of NRW security teams, which have been active since 2022 and also patrol at night, is a step in the right direction. These teams put in almost 40,000 hours of service last year alone, although reports of violent crime against public transport workers remain worrying. Protector SvhSemana Zug's desire to increase safety competence, especially among local transport employees, is not an important existence.

In the current survey, according to the safety report, 75 percent of passengers “always feel completely safe,” which is a positive sign. However, there is still room for improvement, especially when it comes to the feeling of security in the dark, which became clear in a survey by the Federal Criminal Police Office. Here, over half of those surveyed said they felt unsafe on public transport at night. Helpful measures such as video surveillance at around 100 train stations and the training of employees with over 17,000 participants in the “muTiger training” could ensure that more people overcome their fear and use local transport without any worries.

Conclusion: Continuous improvement required

While the security situation in regional local transport is stable overall, as the data shows, the increasing numbers of attacks and violence show that there is still a need for action. An innovative approach, data exchange between authorities, the police and transport companies is a necessary measure to ensure safety for all travelers. So the topic remains exciting – stay tuned!