(de-news.net) – Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced plans to substantially reinforce criminal-law protections for employees in service-oriented sectors such as rail transport following the fatal attack on a train conductor in Rhineland-Palatinate. Framing the initiative as a response to a demonstrable rise in violence directed at public-sector and transportation workers, he argued that the existing legal framework no longer provided adequate deterrence or protection. In this assessment, current sentencing ranges and statutory minimum penalties for assaults on service personnel were portrayed as insufficiently robust and in need of systematic expansion. Within this context, he emphasized that the perpetrator of the attack would be held fully accountable under criminal law, stressing that the gravity and brutality of the offense required the most stringent application of existing legal provisions.
Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) aligned himself with these demands, reinforcing the call for decisive political action. He underscored that improving the safety of rail employees could not be addressed through isolated measures but instead required a coordinated and sustained effort across the entire rail system. From his perspective, ensuring that trains and stations remain secure public spaces depended on firm intervention by all levels of government, particularly in light of what he characterized as a growing societal tolerance for aggressive and violent behavior.
The Railway and Transport Union, similarly pressed for concrete steps, pointing to what it described as a marked erosion of respect toward rail employees. According to the union, rail staff perform their duties to ensure that passengers reach their homes, workplaces, or holiday destinations safely and reliably, yet are increasingly exposed to verbal abuse, physical attacks, and, in extreme cases, lethal violence. While acknowledging that fatal incidents remain statistically rare, the union emphasized that serious assaults are no longer isolated occurrences but have become a recurring feature of daily operations, with reported attacks on train conductors rising steadily over recent years. A central structural factor contributing to this vulnerability was identified as chronic understaffing, particularly in regional and local services. Against this background, the union reiterated its demand for a return to dual staffing on trains, arguing that local rail transport constitutes a core element of public services and that financial savings achieved at the expense of safety for employees and passengers alike were neither justified nor sustainable.
On Wednesday afternoon, Deutsche Bahn announced a nationwide minute of silence in response to the killing of the conductor. At 3 p.m., the company publicly expressed its profound grief and solidarity with the victim’s family and friends, inviting employees, railway workers, and passengers across the country to participate in the commemoration. While the company permitted commemorative announcements, pauses, or moments of silence, it emphasized that regular operations would continue for safety and operational reasons. The company’s chief executive, Evelyn Palla, publicly conveyed her shock and deep sorrow over the death of the colleague and condemned the act as an extreme and senseless manifestation of violence. She further argued that the incident demanded reflection not only within the company itself but also across the political sphere and society more broadly, as recurring outbreaks of violence required collective explanations and coordinated responses.
