Cleaning staff and employees of a security service walking through Hermannstraße underground station.
© dpa
In future, cleaning and security staff will be working around the clock to ensure cleanliness and order along the U8 underground line.
As announced by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) on Wednesday, two cleaning staff and up to three security staff will be on site day and night between the Jannowitzbrücke and Hermannstraße stations. According to BVG Operations Director Rolf Erfurt, the security staff will also be supported by the police. "We are spending 700,000 euros on this for three months," said Erfurt. Henrik Falk, CEO of BVG since January 2024, emphasised that the company is taking the project very seriously. It is not just a "show act".
At the presentation of the project, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) said that the long-term goal was to improve cleanliness and safety in all of Berlin's underground railway systems. "Statistically speaking, our public transport system is a safe area, but many people perceive it differently. The BVG's pilot project is a step in the right direction to change this," said Transport Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU). The U8 has a bad reputation and is considered a problem case, especially in terms of safety and cleanliness. The line is a good 18 kilometres long and runs from Wittenau right across the city to Hermannstraße in Neukölln.