Deutsche Bahn (DB) plans to deploy more security staff as well as additional personnel and funding for cleaning and repairs at its stations. DB chief Evelyn Palla and Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) on Tuesday launched an immediate program “with which the station experience for customers will become noticeably more pleasant as early as this year,” the company announced. The first measures will roll out at 25 stations, including Berlin Central Station.
“In total, around 50 million euros in additional funding will be available this year for safety and cleanliness at stations,” Palla said. Passengers “should experience that things are rapidly changing for the better.”
According to DB, additional security personnel will be deployed this year at major stations in Mainz, Mannheim and Hamburg. Working with the federal police, the company also aims to equip more stations with cameras and video technology. A prevention campaign is intended, among other things, to strengthen respect toward DB employees.
The company also said that regular station cleaning will be expanded, with a “spring cleaning” now planned at 1,400 stations instead of the previous 700. Many of those stations are in rural areas. Mobile maintenance teams will also be deployed nationwide to carry out repairs more quickly. “Many measures, such as modernizing the network, take time. But there is also a lot that can be improved immediately,” Transport Minister Schnieder said. “This includes the cleanliness and safety of our stations.”
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