A 36-year-old Deutsche Bahn (DB) train attendant, Serkan C., has died after being brutally attacked by a passenger during a routine ticket check in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The incident occurred on Monday evening on a regional express near Kaiserslautern. According to police reports and trade union sources, Serkan C. approached a group of passengers shortly after departure. When he asked a 26-year-old man without a valid ticket to leave the train, the passenger attacked him violently.
Witnesses reported that Serkan initially tried to de-escalate the situation and maintain his distance. However, the confrontation escalated, and the passenger struck him repeatedly, causing severe injuries. The train attendant collapsed and had to be resuscitated on the spot before being transported to a hospital.
Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday morning. Serkan C. was a single father of two and had worked for Deutsche Bahn for 15 years at the Mannheim site.
The suspect, a 26-year-old Greek national without permanent residence in Germany, was arrested at the scene and is now in pre-trial detention. The Kaiserslautern Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the case on suspicion of manslaughter.
Deutsche Bahn expressed deep sorrow over the incident. In an internal message to employees, the company highlighted Serkan C.’s dedication and extended condolences to his family. The Railway and Transport Union (EVG) described the death as unprecedented, marking the first time a DB train attendant was killed on duty without personal fault.
EVG head Martin Burkert called the attack “brutal” and urged politicians to take immediate action to improve staff security. He emphasized that such a case should never happen again.
The attack comes amid a rising trend of violence against railway employees. On average, five employees face physical attacks every day, and four incidents involve threats. In total, 1,231 railway employees were victims of bodily injury, and 324 suffered dangerous bodily injury in the first ten months of last year.
In response to the growing threat, Deutsche Bahn has begun issuing body cameras to employees who regularly interact with passengers. The equipment has already proven effective as a deterrent among security personnel.
Just last week, a 25-year-old South Sudanese man grabbed an 18-year-old and dragged her onto the track bed in front of an oncoming train. Both died at the scene. The suspect entered Germany in mid-2024 through the UNHCR resettlement program, however, no personal security interview—normally a mandatory part of the procedure—was conducted prior to his entry, according to reports.
