A man with a 3.0% alcohol intake attacked a train conductor. She ended up in the hospital, the railways canceled connections

The ticket check turned into a physical attack that ended unpleasantly. The train conductor of the Slovakian Railway Company (ZSSK) in Martin was attacked by a man under the influence of alcohol who refused to leave the train. It was not an isolated incident.

Just three days before this incident, a passenger also attacked another railway employee. Figures over the past two years show that violence against train staff remains a serious problem. ZSSK informed our editorial office about this in a press release.

Normal service turned into a fight

It is Saturday morning at the railway station in Martin and the passenger train is already ready for the journey to Čadka. It was here that an incident took place on October 17, which ended with the train conductor being hospitalized.

The man traveled without a valid ticket and refused to get off the train. However, the conflict did not end with just a verbal spat. According to information from ZSSK, the passenger grabbed the employee by the hair and forcibly dragged her. He then fell on her and injured her.

According to confirmed information, the man had approximately three per thousand of alcohol.

Passengers helped the conductor

The people who were there at the time played an important role. The passengers present decided to intervene and detained the aggressive man until the police arrived.

ZSSK publicly thanked them for their reaction. Their actions helped to manage the situation immediately after the attack and made it possible to summon the relevant forces.

“ZSSK thanks the passengers who did not remain indifferent during the attack and detained the man until the arrival of the police patrol. Their reaction helped to manage the situation immediately after the attack,” said ZSSK spokesman Ján Baček.

The attack also affected train traffic

The consequences of the incident did not end with the departure of the rescuers. The employee’s injury and the handling of the incident also affected the planned railway operation.

The carrier had to cancel passenger train Os 7542 in the section Martin – Vrútky. The subsequent link Os 7543 on the route Vrútky – Martin was also cancelled.

Changes in traffic were not caused by a technical fault or bad weather, but by the violent behavior of one person.

ZSSK warns that similar incidents have their consequences. If an employee is injured or has to deal with an exceptional event, the carrier may be forced to delay scheduled departures or cancel connections altogether.

Another attack came just three days before

The Martin incident is not the only case that ZSSK dealt with in October. Just three days before the attack on the train conductor, a passenger attacked another railway employee.

This time, the incident took place in Nové Zámky when getting off the Os 4800 passenger train. The conductor was punched in the face and suffered a laceration above the eyebrow. He too needed medical treatment.

Two such attacks on rail workers in the space of a few days have again drawn attention to the risks faced by staff during every single service.

Dozens of attacks in a single year

The extent of the problem is also shown by the data of the carrier itself. ZSSK recorded a total of 43 physical attacks on train personnel in 2025. Since the beginning of 2026, it has recorded another 31 cases.

Thus, physical assaults are a recurring problem that railway employees have to deal with.

Tense situations occur especially when checking tickets, excluding passengers from transport or when dealing with inappropriate behavior. It is in such moments that even a simple inspection can result in a conflict.

“ZSSK strongly condemns violence against train personnel. Train conductors daily check travel documents, provide information, help passengers and supervise the safe progress of transport. Physical attacks, threats or humiliation must not be part of their work,” Baček added. Railways are expanding security measures

ZSSK claims that it is strengthening the protection of its employees. Already in September, it expanded the deployment of a private security service in selected regional trains.

Since October, a total of nine security service workers have been working on five high-risk lines. Their deployment is complemented by other measures aimed at preventing conflicts and assisting in their resolution.

“In September, ZSSK expanded the deployment of private security services in selected regional trains. Since October, a total of nine security service personnel have been operating on five high-risk lines. These measures are complemented by cooperation with the Slovak Police, camera systems in vehicles, body cameras of train personnel and employee training aimed at preventing conflict situations,” Baček concluded.