In brief
A 26-year-old DB Sicherheit employee was attacked by a 36-year-old passenger during a ticket check on a regional train travelling at 120 km/h on Friday evening, 17 July 2026.
After being kicked, the security worker fell backward against a damaged door, which gave way, causing him to fall from the moving train. He suffered life-threatening injuries and remains in stable but critical condition.
The Karlsruhe district court denied the arrest warrant, citing doubts from surveillance video and the suspect's fixed residence, family ties, and full-time job. The 36-year-old, who has prior violent convictions and was on probation, was released.
GDL chief Mario Reiß demanded legal changes and tougher justice, while EVG deputy Cosima Ingenschay condemned the release as a devastating signal for railway staff.
Federal police recorded around 2,690 attacks on Deutsche Bahn employees last year, an 11% increase from the previous year, according to government data.
The incident
On Friday evening, a 26-year-old security employee of DB Sicherheit was called with a colleague to a ticket check on a regional train travelling from Offenburg to Karlsruhe. A 36-year-old passenger refused to show identification or leave the train. The man, who was intoxicated and has prior convictions for violent crimes, attacked the security worker with punches and kicks. During the scuffle, both men repeatedly slammed against a train door, which investigators believe was damaged without anyone noticing.
When the security worker tried to pull the suspect up from the floor, the suspect delivered a forceful kick. The employee fell backward against the door. The door gave way, and he fell through a gap out of the train, which was moving at around 120 km/h. He was found severely injured beside the tracks and taken to hospital. A police spokesperson said his condition is stable but remains critical.
Investigation into the door
Why the door opened is still unclear. The regional train has been seized, and a technical expert has been commissioned to determine how the door could give way. A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said the company is supporting the investigation with all available resources. Train services on the route have since resumed normal operation.
Court decision and suspect's release
The 36-year-old suspect was initially arrested after the incident. The public prosecutor's office applied for pre-trial detention on charges of bodily harm. However, the Karlsruhe district court rejected the application. The court later explained that surveillance video from the train raised doubts about the exact sequence of events. The judge also found that the suspect has a fixed residence, family ties, and full-time employment, so there was no flight risk and no urgent suspicion required for an arrest warrant. The suspect, who was already on probation for previous violent offences, was released.
The prosecution noted that for the criminal assessment, it will be crucial whether the suspect could have foreseen that his kicks might cause the security worker to fall from the moving train.
Union outrage and calls for action
The incident has drawn sharp reactions from railway unions. Manuel Amberger, state chief of the EVG union, described it as a "new, life-threatening dimension" of violence against staff.
“That once again one of our colleagues is fighting for his life in hospital after a simple ticket check leaves us stunned and angry.”
GDL union chief Mario Reiß demanded legal changes rather than another security summit.
“We need decisions from the judiciary. We need changes to the law and we need the right to intervene.”
Reiß added that employees "have to go to work with more fear every day." EVG deputy chair Cosima Ingenschay condemned the suspect's release, saying that while there may be legal reasons, for the workforce it is a devastating signal.
Rising violence against rail staff
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents against railway employees. According to federal government figures, the federal police recorded around 2,690 attacks on Deutsche Bahn employees last year, an increase of about 11 percent compared to the year before. In February, a train attendant in Rhineland-Palatinate died after being assaulted by a fare evader; the perpetrator was sentenced to ten years in prison just last week.