Compliance with the mask requirement is to be monitored more closely on Deutsche Bahn trains. On Tuesday, priority controls took place in seven federal states in cooperation with the federal police, as the company announced. The majority of the passengers wore the mouth and nose cover "exemplary". The railway announced to expand the controls.
Security guards check mask requirements in DB trains
According to its own information, the company currently uses security staff on around 60 long-distance trains every day to check whether masks are required to be worn. The number of these Controls should therefore be more than doubled by the beginning of September.
However, Deutsche Bahn continues to focus heavily on prevention. In most cases, passengers would have to cover their mouths and noses when advised, the company said. Travelers who "vehemently" refused remained a "small minority".
In such cases, the journey can end quickly. "The Federal Police implement this in conflict situations," emphasized the railway. The company also supports the federal states' actions to punish mask refusers with fines.
Railway employees in Dortmund injured by mask refusers
Aggressive mask refusers are said to have injured two railway employees and a fellow traveler in the Ruhr area. In Dortmund, a 36-year-old was expelled from the train station because he was not wearing mouth and nose protection, the police said on Monday. When he came back shortly afterwards – again without a mask – and two railway employees spoke to him again, the situation had escalated. The man had kicked a railroad worker in front of the head, she and a colleague suffered injuries in the incident on Saturday, the federal police took the man into custody.
There was also an attack on a S-Bahn between Wattenscheid and Essen at the weekend because of the mask requirement. A 52-year-old suffered injuries to his face on Sunday morning. He had approached a group of five people because they weren't wearing a mask. They then hit and strangled him and then escaped, the police reported. The video recording from the train will now be evaluated. Criminal proceedings are ongoing for dangerous bodily harm.