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Number of threats against railway employees in North Rhine-Westphalia breaks records!
In 2024, the number of safety-related incidents in Hamm and North Rhine-Westphalia increased, raising questions about safety in local transport.
Number of threats against railway employees in North Rhine-Westphalia breaks records!
Public transport safety in North Rhine-Westphalia was a hot topic in 2024. According to a report by WA.de, there has been a significant increase in safety-related incidents on trains and at stations. A total of 42,986 incidents were registered in the NRW security database, which corresponds to an increase of 11.6 percent compared to the previous year. What is striking is that only 48 percent of train users say they “almost always” feel safe when they travel with Deutsche Bahn.
This increase in incidents raises questions. The train stations in North Rhine-Westphalia seem to be scary, especially in the eyes of users. The #### three train stations in Hamm stand out as not very popular, which indicates a worrying development in the perception of security. However, the most common incidents cannot be equated with violent attacks. In fact, 76.1 percent of recorded incidents are crimes, including a worrying increase of almost 15,000 cases of fare evasion and 6,678 insults.
The numbers in detail
An analysis of the incidents clearly shows that safety in local transport is at a low level, especially compared to the 1.5 million journeys every day from Monday to Friday. Oliver Wittke, spokesman for the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association (VRR), explains that the danger on the trains is “narrowly small”. However, this statement arouses skepticism when one considers that the statistically most common cases are the fraudulent use of benefits, with 14,956 incidents. Other incidents include:
- Erschleichung von Leistungen: 14.956 Fälle (neuer Rekord)
- Beleidigungen: 6.678 Fälle
- Sachbeschädigungen: 4.617 Fälle
- Belästigungen: 4.138 Fälle
A particularly worrying point is the increase in threats against railway employees. Over 1,300 such incidents were recorded, including 1,169 against control and security personnel, representing an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous year.
The social climate
These alarming numbers reflect a larger problem. The crime and security indices of the various countries show that Germany has a fairly low index value compared to other nations, at 39.39. Nevertheless, the fear of crime remains a central issue that also affects people's everyday lives.
For passengers, this means that they are moving in an environment in which they are confronted with a large number of crimes, even if there is a real risk of violent attacks. For example, 3,450 trespasses and 353 thefts were registered in North Rhine-Westphalia, an increase of 35 percent. Such developments not only require a rethink by the authorities, but also by society as a whole.
Continuous work to improve safety conditions in public transport is urgently needed. It is hoped that future reports will indicate positive changes.
For further information on the security situation in North Rhine-Westphalia, please refer to the printed works of WA.de, as well as the reporting by WDR and the international comparisons at Numbeo.