German authorities have arrested a 26-year-old Greek citizen on suspicion of fatally assaulting a train conductor following an altercation over a ticket inspection.
The incident occurred late Monday night when the 36-year-old conductor, Serkan C., approached a group of four passengers, aged between 20 and 30, to check their tickets. According to police, one member of the group did not have a valid ticket and was asked to leave the train.
Police say the suspect then attacked the conductor as the train was departing Landstuhl station, near Kaiserslautern, in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The conductor, a father of two, reportedly suffered multiple blows to the head and collapsed shortly afterward.
He was transported to hospital, where he died from his injuries approximately 24 hours later.
Police in Kaiserslautern confirmed that the suspect has no registered permanent residence in Germany. He was brought before a magistrate on Tuesday and remanded in custody. Authorities are treating the case as suspected manslaughter.
The incident has shocked railway employees and the wider public across Germany. Rail workers held a minute’s silence at train stations across Germany on Wednesday afternoon in memory of their colleague.
Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla expressed condolences, saying she was “stunned and saddened” by the death of the conductor.
“My deepest sympathy goes out to Serkan C.’s family, friends, and colleagues,” Palla said in a statement. “All of us at Deutsche Bahn strongly condemn this horrific act of violence and the completely senseless death of our colleague. Today is a dark day for railway workers across the country. We are in mourning.”