Following a dangerous incident where a door was opened on a moving train in Bavaria, the passenger association Pro Bahn is advocating for the installation of surveillance cameras in the entrance areas of long-distance trains. According to Lukas Iffländer, the national chairman of the association, those critical entrance zones-the doors and vestibules-are precisely where such disruptive acts occur, and a camera in these areas would provide clarity without infringing on the privacy of passengers inside the carriage. Iffländer stressed the seriousness of the incident in Bavaria: “A door is opened at 200 km/h, the train makes an emergency stop, and afterward, it is impossible to determine who was responsible.”
In contrast, Pro Bahn strongly opposes the idea of comprehensive video monitoring of the entire train. Iffländer explained that passenger privacy operates on a different level in long-distance travel. Passengers use the train compartment for hours to work, sleep, eat, and converse. He noted that an ICE compartment functions more as a living space than a transit station, an aspect that does not justify constant observation of seating areas.
Pro Bahn suggests that cameras should be integrated into the bidding processes for new long-distance trains and into the modernization programs for the existing fleet, allowing for installation without requiring extra effort. The recordings should remain only a few days in a ring buffer without live monitoring and should only be passed to investigative authorities when a specific incident occurs.
