Assaults against public transport employees in Luxembourg remain a persistent issue, with 548 incidents recorded across the country’s main transport operators in 2025, according to figures from the Ministry of Mobility.
The data was released in response to a parliamentary question from CSV MP Georges Mischo. The incidents involve employees of the Luxembourg National Railway Company (CFL), the Inter-Communal Syndicate for Person Transportation in Esch-sur-Alzette (TICE), Luxtram, the General Road Transport Network (RGTR), and Luxembourg City Buses (AVL).
According to the ministry, insults and threats are the most common forms of aggression. The highest number of reports came from CFL railway staff, who recorded 284 incidents. They were followed by AVL with 171 cases, RGTR with 55, Luxtram with 20, and TICE with 18.
The ministry’s figures show that assaults on public transport most frequently occur in the late afternoon and early evening, primarily between 3pm and 7pm. On trains and at stations, however, a secondary peak was recorded later in the evening, with the most incidents occurring between 10pm and 11pm.
No employees at CFL, Luxtram, or TICE required hospitalisation last year. However, eight individuals sought medical consultations, and one Luxtram employee received treatment for “emotional shock,” according to the ministry. At TICE, six employees took sick leave, with one seeking psychological support.
The minister outlined the support structures available to staff following an incident. CFL employees are cared for by a dedicated support service, which assists with all necessary steps, including medical or psychological care and legal support in court. “In the case of post-traumatic shock, and if the affected person cannot immediately return to their workplace, the occupational physician will evaluate whether a professional reorientation within CFL is necessary,” Minister Backes stated.
At Luxtram, the “direct line manager” is responsible for supporting affected employees. “Afterwards, with the agreement of the person concerned, help from the doctor and/or the occupational psychologist from STM can be organised,” Backes explained.
Similarly, at TICE, the direct line manager makes contact with the affected employee after every incident, “no matter how trivial it may seem, to check if they need special support.”
In response to the ongoing issue of assaults, the Ministry of Mobility has implemented a range of preventive measures, including the widespread installation of protective cabins in buses.
According to the ministry, while just under 22% of buses were equipped with protective cabins in 2022, that figure had risen to approximately 53% by the beginning of February 2026. The ministry’s stated goal is for protective cabins to become “standard in all RGTR buses in the medium term.”
At CFL, fully enclosed cabins have already been installed in 64 out of 83 buses. These cabins are designed to be secure and “cannot be opened from the outside, except in case of a driver’s medical emergency.” The TICE fleet, meanwhile, is already fully equipped.
A test phase involving security guards was launched on the Luxtram network in August 2025. Since then, two security guards have been patrolling the network throughout the day. The ministry is currently examining how similar teams could be deployed on RGTR lines to “ensure calm at various hotspots.”
In parallel, a bill on video surveillance is being prepared. The ministry reports that it is “expected to be on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary session before the summer break.” Additionally, the Ministry of Mobility is working on measures necessary for “the issuing of administrative fines based on the new law for security in public transport.”
Training programmes aimed at helping employees deal with aggressive or violent situations are also in place across the various operators.
The ministry highlights that CFL offers specific basic and advanced training courses, in which a number of employees have already participated. Additionally, the “Training meets Practice” programme has been running since 2025, supplemented by workshops, coaching sessions, and “lessons learned” meetings.
At Luxtram, drivers receive information during their initial training about “the risks, including assaults, and how to behave in certain situations.”
TICE has taken a hands-on approach, organising training in collaboration with the police. In 2022 and 2023, all newly hired employees completed a course run by the police’s self-defence club. The programme “prepared them for potentially conflict-ridden situations and taught them methods and techniques for de-escalation on the bus.”
