The Police Federation of Germany (GdP) has responded cautiously to a proposal from the SPD parliamentary group to reorganise security services at the German railway. The SPD’s plan would merge private Deutsche Bahn security forces with the Bundespolizei at stations under a new entity called the “Central Object Protection Bahn” (Zentraler Objektschutz Bahn).
Andreas Roßkopf, chair of the GdP’s federal police section, told the German editorial network that the idea still lacks essential details. “Many points are not sufficiently discussed in the paper” he said. He asked what status the ‘new’ employees would receive, what precise job descriptions would be drafted, and who would cover the costs. He also pointed out that the railway, as the owner, must provide its own measures to protect its property and enforce rights of entry-issues that the SPD draft does not address.
According to SPD insiders, security at the railway is presently characterised by overlapping responsibilities and the coexistence of different actors. The paper states that “different standards, powers and responsibilities create coordination problems, friction losses and uneven protection levels”.
Deutsche Bahn security, along with its subcontractors, currently employs roughly 5,000 staff. Additional security teams, contracted by other railway operators to patrol regional trains, are not mentioned in the SPD recommendation.
