Skip to main content
ETF black logo ETF black logo ETF black logo ETF black logo

Google Translate

ETF solidarity statement on the Baden-Württemberg train accident

Statement

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) expresses our deepest condolences and solidarity with our colleagues from the German Railway and Transport Union (EVG) following the tragic train accident in Baden-Württemberg’s Biberach district.

We are profoundly saddened by the loss of three lives in this devastating derailment of a regional train, including a train driver, a trainee, and a passenger. Our thoughts go out to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who perished, and we extend it to all those injured in this terrible incident.

The death of railway workers in the line of duty strikes at the heart of our transport family. These colleagues dedicated their professional lives to safely connecting communities and serving the travelling public. Their loss reminds us of the risks that transport workers face every day in carrying out their essential duties.

The ETF stands in full solidarity with EVG and all our German transport worker colleagues during this difficult time. We know that the entire railway community is united in grief, and we share in the mourning of this tragic loss of life.

As investigations into the cause of this accident continue, the ETF reaffirms our unwavering commitment to railway safety and the protection of both transport workers and passengers. Every worker has the right to return home safely at the end of their shift, and every passenger deserves safe and secure transport.

ON THE GROUND

News

Keeping a warming Europe moving: how hot temperatures affect transport workers and what can be done about it

As part of the European continent undergoes its fourth heatwave of 2026, it has become abundantly clear that occupational heat exposure is no longer an exceptional or occasional summer hazard. It is an emergent occupational hazard only destined to escalate. Europe is the second fastest-warming region of the globe after the Arctic. According to EU-OSHA 2025 numbers, one in five workers in the EU signaled exposure to extreme heat at work in the previous 12 months, a figure rising to one in three in some countries.
News

Unruly passengers: more than just summer headlines

Summer may be synonymous with relaxation for holidaymakers and every summer seems to produce its share of eye-catching headlines. Just days ago, The Guardian reported on a drunk British holidaymaker who tried to kiss a flight attendant on a plane and was arrested on his way back through Palma airport. A week earlier, headlines were dominated by reports of a flight from Dublin to Ibiza descending into what was described as "sex and booze chaos," leaving fellow passengers shocked.
News

UK public transport unions sound the alarm over lack of toilet access for drivers

Public transport unions in the United Kingdom are raising urgent concerns about the lack of access to toilet facilities for bus and train drivers, a problem that has persisted for years but is now reaching a breaking point. Reports from across the UK show drivers being forced to work entire shifts without guaranteed access to a toilet, leaving them to rely on improvised or unsafe alternatives, including urinating in bottles in their driving cab. Some unions are now considering industrial action to force employers and authorities to act.