Deutsche Bahn to ban alcohol at all 5,400 stations by mid-October after guard attack

Security crisis at German stations

Deutsche Bahn recorded 28,000 violent acts at stations and on trains in 2025, according to the federal police union. In at least one-third of incidents, the offender was under the influence of alcohol, the federal police reported. The latest flashpoint came on the evening of 17 July near Offenburg, when a 26-year-old security guard was checking tickets on a regional train. A passenger who refused to show identification turned violent, and the guard was pushed from the moving train, suffering life-threatening injuries. The assailant was intoxicated, authorities said. DB board chair Evelyn Palla said the attack was the final straw. "We've seen that where too much alcohol flows, violence rises," she said, adding that the company is now acting to protect staff and passengers.

Nationwide ban rollout

Starting 1 September, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Gesundbrunnen, Kiel and Braunschweig will ban drinking on platforms and in station halls. By 15 October, all 5,400 stations across Germany will be alcohol-free under DB house rules. The ban applies to the consumption of beer, wine and spirits on platforms and inside buildings. Station restaurants and cafes may continue to serve alcohol, and passengers can still carry sealed bottles. More than 30 major stations, including Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt, already have such bans in place. Hamburg's ban, in force since April 2024, has led to fewer conflicts and less litter, Palla said. The company cited "positive experiences" as motivation for the expansion. No general alcohol prohibition is planned for long-distance trains, where onboard bistros sell alcohol. Some regional networks, such as Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Nuremberg, already forbid drinking on commuter trains. DB said passengers may still consume alcohol brought on board as long as they respect others.

Berlin's fragmented network

In the capital, the ban will cover all 168 S-Bahn stations, but the city's U-Bahn underground network remains exempt. Berlin's public transport authority BVG told Tagesspiegel that it has no plans to introduce an alcohol ban on its premises. The patchwork creates oddities at more than 20 stations where S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains share a hub: passengers can legally drink while waiting on the U-Bahn platform, but stepping onto the S-Bahn platform with an open bottle would violate DB rules. At Berlin's Zoo station and Ostbahnhof, bans took effect on 1 May, and the September expansion will add other major interchanges. A DB spokeswoman confirmed that the ban applies only in areas under DB jurisdiction, not in the BVG-run parts of stations.

Enforcement doubts

Police unions and passenger groups have welcomed the goal but questioned its feasibility. Thomas Wulff, the GdP union's federal police chief in Schleswig-Holstein, told NDR that while he supports the ban, there is "simply too little staff" to enforce it nationwide. Karl-Peter Naumann of the Pro Bahn passenger association said the ban would make stations safer and cleaner, as "fewer drunk people spilling bottles reduces mess". But he warned that without checks the rule could lose credibility. DB said it will update house rules over the coming weeks in coordination with local authorities and deploy "standard patrols" to inform travellers. Violators face expulsion and, for repeat offences, a station ban. A Frankfurter Allgemeine commentary called the plan "theoretically good, practically bad", arguing that investing in more security personnel and architectural changes would be more effective.

Voices from the station

We are banning alcohol consumption at stations. Too often we've seen that where too much alcohol flows, violence rises. The brutal and senseless attack last Friday confirms this.

If people aren't drunk with a bottle in their hand, they can't spill it or drop it. That alone makes stations cleaner and safer, especially for women.