On Saturday, July 18, during an argument with a passenger, a German railway employee fell from a train traveling at 120 km per hour and suffered serious injuries. Shortly after, information appeared on social networks in groups of Bulgarians living in Germany that the injured person was Bulgarian. Deutsche Welle contacted the German authorities, who confirmed the nationality of the Deutsche Bahn employee. For security reasons, the authorities in Germany are not revealing the identity of the 26-year-old Bulgarian. However, his name can be seen in the posts of his relatives on Facebook, as well as photos of him with his family.
What happened on the train on July 18?
The train was traveling from Offenburg to Karlsruhe. During the ticket inspection at around 7:35 p.m. near Ettlingen, Karlsruhe district, a verbal argument initially broke out between the controller and a supposedly drunk passenger. Two railway security officers were called in, according to the police and prosecutor's office. The 36-year-old passenger, who is of German nationality, insulted the two security guards. Subsequently, a physical altercation broke out between him and one of the security guards, a 26-year-old Bulgarian. According to investigators, the passenger hit and kicked the railway company employee.
During the collision between the two, one of the train doors was apparently damaged. Due to a crack in its lower part, as reported by ARD, it opened during the collision and the employee fell onto the tracks at a speed of 120 km per hour. The Bulgarian was discovered during a large-scale rescue operation about two kilometers before the station in the Bruchhausen district of Ettlingen. His condition was critical. The prosecutor's office emphasized to Deutsche Welle that in the meantime the victim's condition was no longer life-threatening.
How are the authorities in Germany approaching it?
In a joint statement on Saturday, the prosecutor's office and the police announced that, in their opinion, the accused used brute force against the railway company employee. The 36-year-old German has already been tried for other crimes related to violence. A prison sentence previously imposed on him has been suspended on probation.
However, the Karlsruhe District Court has now refused to issue a detention order against the passenger. The judges' reasoning: the man could not have foreseen that the train door would open. In addition, according to information from the Karlsruhe court, the surveillance camera footage has cast doubt on the version of events presented by the prosecutor's office. The accused therefore remains at large for the time being.
As reported by the "Badische Neue Nachrichten" newspaper, around 200 people gathered in front of the Karlsruhe District Court on Sunday to protest against the refusal to grant him pre-trial detention.
The Karlsruhe prosecutor's office confirmed to Deutsche Welle that the investigation is still ongoing. The prosecutor's office is considering whether to appeal the rejection of the request for a detention order.
Violence against Deutsche Bahn employees is increasing
Following the attack on the 26-year-old Bulgarian, the German train drivers' union (GDL) is calling for stricter legal consequences for attacks on railway employees. It should be clear to everyone in Germany that such attacks are punishable and lead to "consequences that deter such violence", GDL federal chairman Mario Reiss emphasized on WDR. The escalation of violence on trains has reached "enormous proportions", with many employees now going to work in fear, he added.
A few days ago, the Federal Interior Ministry presented the latest figures on violence against Deutsche Bahn employees, and they are alarming: in the first five months of 2026, 1,630 railway employees were victims of attacks. Police statistics for the period from January to the end of May show 662 cases of bodily injury, 175 cases of serious bodily injury and 661 cases of threats.
In February 2026, a 36-year-old conductor on a train in Germany was beaten by a 26-year-old passenger without a ticket during a check. The Deutsche Bahn employee died from his serious injuries. Since then, employee safety has been the focus of attention. The railway company is now increasingly relying on so-called body cameras. The attacker, who is of Greek origin, was sentenced in early July to 10 years in prison.
Author: Maria Ilcheva