Deutsche Bahn Now Equipping Station Staff with Body Cameras

Background: Fatal Incident in February

According to the station service, the roll-out will begin at larger hubs such as Frankfurt am Main and Bielefeld. In the coming weeks, additional locations are to follow, including service points at the DB Lounges. Initially, several cameras will be in use per shift and location, and equipment will be expanded as needed.

The body cameras will be worn exclusively on a voluntary basis. Employees who use a camera switch it on when needed, for example when there is an escalation with passengers. According to the company, recordings will only be evaluated in cases of concrete suspicion and will be automatically deleted after a short period unless a criminal offense has occurred.

Launch in Frankfurt and Bielefeld

The background is a series of sometimes serious attacks on rail personnel in trains and stations. The incident in February, in which a train conductor was fatally injured, had intensified the debate about the protection of employees in public local transport. The unions had called at the time for swift measures, and the Bahn announced consequences.

DB Regio and DB Infrago, the group's station operating subsidiary, are working closely together on the introduction. While DB Regio has already been trialing body cameras on regional services for some time, DB Infrago is now deploying the cameras at the stations and in the DB Lounges. In doing so, the Bahn is aligning the protective measures across the group on a single line.

For employees in station service, the introduction means more safety in everyday working life, according to the company. Those who report attacks should in future have better evidence in the form of video recordings. On-board gastronomy on trains will also benefit indirectly, because potential perpetrators are to be deterred.

Criticism of Voluntary Use

Critics are skeptical of the voluntary use. They point out that a voluntary offering is not enough to provide comprehensive protection, especially during high-pressure shifts. The Bahn, on the other hand, emphasizes that a mandatory requirement to wear the cameras would not be enforceable under labor law and that a voluntary solution increases acceptance.

By expanding the use to stations, the group is also responding to data from the first months of body camera use on trains. According to this, the number of reported attacks on train conductors has noticeably declined since the introduction of the cameras. The Bahn did not initially provide details on specific figures.

The roll-out at the first stations is to be completed in the coming weeks, with additional locations to follow in the autumn. The Bahn also announced training for staff in handling the cameras and in de-escalation behavior. The goal is to defuse conflicts at an early stage and to document attacks.