Group security
Management approach and targets
Safety is a basic human need. For our customers, safety is an essential criterion when selecting a means of transport. For our employees, safety is a prerequisite for carrying out their work in a responsible and customer-focused manner. Every day, we are responsible for the millions of people and goods that are transported on our infrastructure. Protection against attacks, theft and other criminal offenses along our production processes and travel chains is the top priority of DB Group’s security organization. DB Group’s internal agencies are in constant dialog with the security authorities. The exchange of information between Group Security and the Federal police headquarters is a round-the-clock joint task of DB Group and the Federal police in our Railway Security Center. The situation and operations centers in the regional divisions of DB Security coordinate regional security issues and are the 24/7 point of contact for the business units, Group and non-Group train operating companies and authorities. In total, more than 6,000 Federal police officers and about 4,500 security personnel are deployed for DB Group throughout Germany. DB Group and the Federal police are continually recruiting employees and expanding their apprenticeship capacities. About 100 vocational trainees began their training as protection and security specialists at DB Group in the fall. This means that about 250 trainees nationwide are ensuring the supply of young talents in this field. To fulfill the obligations resulting from the expected KRITIS Umbrella Act, DB Group is hiring up to 500 additional security personnel. The first 250 of them have undergone training since 2023 and are mainly deployed to protect infrastructure. The main focus is on building up and training our own personnel resources and scaling back the use of security personnel from contracted companies. In addition to vocational training, continuous further education and training are essential prerequisites for a stable security situation. In 2024, all security personnel deployed by DB Group were trained at least four times a year with a total of 24 hours of training in accordance with legal requirements. Depending on their job, DB Security employees additionally complete up to 112 hours of further training. Continuous training courses on de-escalation and self-protection are an integral part of this. Content relating to civil and criminal law is taught in the context of fundamental and human rights. Social and intercultural skills are included in the training to ensure that employees interact professionally and empathetically with all people in stations and on trains. The diversity of perspectives and cultures has already been established by the participants: DB Security employs people from many different countries and cultures.
Development of criminal offenses
The number of crimes committed against DB Group and its customers in 2024 is above the previous year’s level (about +15%). The increase in dangerous interventions (about +42%) and breaches of domiciliary rights (about +37%) is striking. Technology is increasingly supplementing the human factor, which is indispensable for security, whether video technology, drones, sensor technology or the evaluation of data and information with AI. The number of metal thefts (about +10%) has risen. In contrast, there was a sharp decline in ticket machine break-ins (about –46%). The number of graffiti crimes (about –10%) has also fallen.
Security on trains
The Group-wide Safe Travel program focuses on measures that bring about a noticeable increase in safety for employees and customers. Since 2019, DB Long-Distance has successively expanded the support provided by DB Security on board long-distance trains with additional security services. Additional security personnel are deployed, in particular, on occasions such as football fan travel or major events, but now also on busy travel days during regular operations. DB Security employees are deployed on both night and daytime services to support employees on board long-distance trains, increase passengers’ sense of security and make an important contribution to preventing criminal acts. This enables us to meet the needs of customers, employees and interest groups.
Expansion of video technology
The use of video technology is a crucial component for greater security. By the end of 2024, we increased the number of video cameras in stations to about 11,000. This means that there are more video cameras installed in stations than ever before. Thanks to the replacement of older video systems, the system portfolio is now almost uniform – particularly in terms of image quality and the areas covered by each camera. The Federal police have exclusive access to the footage saved. For DB Group, on the other hand, operational monitoring and the guarantee of traffic safety obligations are central aspects of use. For this purpose, DB employees only have access to live images from the cameras.
DB Group is also increasingly relying on video technology to protect its employees. After DB Regional used bodycams for the first time in 2023 with train attendants, all DB Regional train attendants now have the option of wearing bodycams on duty in the event of a corresponding crime trend. The findings from the previous tests and the experience gained with bodycams among DB Security employees since 2016 have been confirmed in practical use at DB Regional: employees equipped with bodycams are very rarely attacked. According to those taking part in the test, the presence of the bodycam alone averted numerous critical situations. For example, discussions about invalid tickets were ended when documentation by video image was announced.
The number of cameras on regional and S-Bahn (metro) trains also continues to rise: about 52,000 video cameras now provide evidence when needed. This means that the interior of more than 80% of the regional transport fleet is under video surveillance.
24/7 threat management
Employees should be able to work without any risks to their health and without emotional strain. Many employees are not always able to find the right point of contact for these issues in their immediate working environment. The threat management experts are available to employees around the clock across all business units as contacts in the event of threats and personal stress. The activities range from anonymous initial counseling and referral to further support services to direct intervention in the work environment or requests for official support. In 2024, the threat management team recorded about 70 cases (previous year: about 50 cases) that required further support.
Prevention
Time and again, accidents occur on rail facilities because people underestimate the dangers of moving trains, speeds and electrical voltage and fail to keep a safe distance. If there is anyone on the tracks who is not rail staff, rail operations often need to be suspended. To prevent accidents and avoid interruptions to rail operations, DB Group is focusing on education and awareness-raising. The establishment of additional prevention staff was completed in 2024. Across Germany, 24 experts – twice as many as in 2022 – are now raising awareness among young people in particular about the dangers of rail facilities with events at stations and in schools.
Cooperation with the Federal Police
We are continuing to steadily increase the presence of our own security personnel. In addition to the requirements stipulated in transport contracts, this also helps to fulfill safety requirements on trains and in stations. Close cooperation with the Federal police applies as part of the law enforcement partnership. All safety-relevant issues and situations are recorded and evaluated in the jointly staffed Railway Security Center. Continual coordination ensures effective decisions on security measures and interventions within the framework of the agreed security concepts. Joint exercises, the provision of qualifications for deployment in the railway area and the joint planning and management of special situations, e.g. for soccer fan traffic, are further components of the law enforcement partnership.
Corporate security platform
The digital Corporate Security Platform (CSP) for recording security-relevant events in Germany will make it possible to create a comprehensive picture of the situation for all business units for the first time in 2024. About 128,000 employees have the option of recording messages and events in the CSP. This includes almost all employees with customer contact who can feed in events via business-unit-specific notification and reporting systems.
The CSP app on business devices has completed the input options since the fall of 2024. The involvement of all business units, regular dialog with the employees who initiated contact and continual cooperation with the interest groups create a high level of acceptance and willingness to use the system. The CSP enables faster knowledge of hazardous situations, a faster and more targeted response and that the knowledge gained about the situation can flow directly into security measures and, in the long term, into security concepts.
Attacks on employees
As a result of the gradual introduction of the CSP as the basis for data collection, the comparability of individual figures on attacks on employees compared to the previous year is limited.
The number of attacks on employees (including threats and attempts) in 2024 was roughly on a par with the previous year at 3,324 cases (previous year: 3,144 cases). The most frequently affected professions are the train attendants at a rate of 64% and security and law enforcement at 30%. Violence against train personnel often occurs in connection with non-existent or invalid tickets or when enforcing the house rules. Employees with bodycams and security personnel with guard dogs were hardly ever attacked.
“Safe Travel” building block
Employees have defined safety as a key strategic element with the “Safe Travel” employee building block. Through cooperation between Group Security and the business units and in consultation with employees, measures are implemented to increase safety for employees and customers. After three years of development with test and pilot operations, activities in 2024 continued to focus on the development of the Group-wide security platform CSP.
Security at the station
DB Group and the Federal police are continually further developing their security concepts. Berlin Südkreuz station serves as a location for testing new technologies under real-
life conditions. The traffic-safety application of smart video technology is being tested and further developed under scientific supervision. The focus is on the automated detection of people in the track area, the investigation of the formation of crowds or the detection of items left behind.
The “safe stations for all” study, which DB Group commissioned in 2023 in connection with the security station, sheds light on different forms of use by various stakeholders with regard to subjective and objective safety. One finding states the need for overarching cooperation that focuses more on social services and that offers more support to people in social conflict.
The effect of security concepts with a social component was tested in 2023 and 2024 with so-called station walkers at Berlin’s Südkreuz and Ostbahnhof stations and is available for adaptation to other locations, at the discretion of the Federal police and DB InfraGO under the corresponding conditions. One of the crucial factors for this low-threshold social offer is the holistic view of the station and its surroundings. Therefore, close cooperation with local authorities, in particular a common understanding of the requirements and objectives of security measures, is a prerequisite for the successful deployment of station walkers.
Infrastructures protection
The expected KRITIS Umbrella Act requires great efforts from operators of complex infrastructures such as DB Group. In recent years, DB Group has been working closely with the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) and the BMDV to develop strategies for infrastructure protection, protection concepts and a reporting and notification system. The targeted installation of technical redundancies, the consistent technical protection of outdoor facilities and the deployment of 250 of the planned 500 additional security personnel for greater protection of the rail infrastructure were implemented.
European Football Championship in Germany
The UEFA EURO 24 European Football Championship placed high demands on DB Group’s security organization due to additional and extended long-distance trains, additional local and S-Bahn (metro) trains at the venues and many passengers on their way to the stadiums and fan miles. DB Group has increased its security personnel for trains and stations by about 20% for the UEFA EURO 24 period.