Deutsche Bahn has registered a sharp rise in acts of vandalism in particular, including graffiti etc., and has decided to step up its efforts to counter this wave of delinquency. During 2009, 39,078 illegal acts have been recorded by the federal police statistics office (Bundespolizei), which is a 9% increase on 2008. The cost of this to DB so far is 50 million Euros.

As stressed by Gerd Becht, Board Member of DB and Head of Security, “crime and vandalism prevention forms a core part of the company’s social responsibility. There is a general consensus among experts to say that only a reinforcement of preventive measures can reverse this trend.” Given the situation, DB has decided to run a “Prevention Train” comprising 4 thematic coaches and offering an educational tour by DB experts and police.