NRW Safety Report 2025: Regional rail services remain safe – protection for staff and passengers is being further enhanced
The safety situation in local passenger rail transport (SPNV) in North Rhine-Westphalia remains stable overall. This is the key finding of the NRW 2025 Safety Report, which the NRW Safety Competence Centre (KCS) has presented in collaboration with the transport authorities go.Rheinland, Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) and the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association (VRR), as well as the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
More prevention, more protection: North Rhine-Westphalia boosts safety on local transport
In 2025, 20,153 security-related incidents were recorded on local trains across North Rhine-Westphalia, 1,348 more than in the previous year. The year-on-year increase is primarily attributable to a rise in cases of littering and damage to property. By contrast, the incidence of serious offences such as assault, robbery or sexual offences remained largely stable. The number of cases of verbal abuse fell significantly by 619.
Overall, the report shows that local rail services in North Rhine-Westphalia remain a safe mode of transport.
For the first time, the report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the pressures faced by ticket inspectors and security staff. It reveals that conflicts frequently arise in connection with ticket inspections: around 52 per cent of all verbal abuse, threats and physical assaults are linked to such checks.
To better protect staff and further strengthen preventive security measures, existing initiatives are being systematically expanded. These include, amongst other things, the extension of the NRW Security Teams until the end of 2027, a new Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) qualification for security staff, additional training programmes, the voluntary use of bodycams, and digital information and prevention initiatives.
Passengers’ subjective sense of safety has also improved. According to regular surveys conducted by DB InfraGO, passengers have been feeling increasingly safer at railway stations and stops for several years. This is supported by the increased deployment of security staff and the almost universal fitting of video surveillance systems on local trains in NRW.
The NRW 2025 Safety Report makes it clear that the safety situation in regional rail transport remains stable. At the same time, the state, transport authorities and transport operators are making targeted investments in prevention, staff training and modern technology to continue offering passengers and staff a high level of safety in the future.
The full NRW Safety Report 2025 can be found here: Safety Reports – NRW Safety Competence Centre.
Click here for the press release from the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport.
Photos from the State Press Conference
From left to right: Oliver Wittke, spokesperson for the VRR Executive Board, and Oliver Krischer, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, present the NRW Safety Report 2025 at the North Rhine-Westphalia State Press Conference. 