Whether on buses, subways or at bus stops: The safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority. That's why we have a lot of technology and qualified personnel.
With around 430 employees, HOCHBAHN Wache is on the move in Hamburg's bus and subway network and performs several tasks at once. Around 260 colleagues from the security service are active around the clock to ensure security in the HOCHBAHN network - at stops and in HOCHBAHN vehicles as well as other facilities and objects. The HOCHBAHN guard also provides security in the inspection service for ticket control and in the operations center.
In addition to this strong team, numerous technical functions provide assistance and safety to our passengers. Here you will find the most important questions and answers about safety on the move in Hamburg:
We have an eye on everything in the vehicles as well as in the subway stops via camera. The recordings can be used as evidence and thus make a decisive contribution to solving crimes. In many cases, the presence of the cameras alone helps to prevent crimes from taking place in the first place. By the way: If no incidents are reported, we delete the recordings after 24 or 72 hours.
What's more, if a passenger makes an emergency call on the call box at the stop, for example, our operations center has an immediate overview of the situation and can therefore assess even more effectively what assistance measures need to be initiated.
All subway stops are equipped with emergency call boxes on the platforms. Here, direct contact can be made with the control center. And not just in an emergency, but also for questions about the timetable or fares.
In the subway, an emergency call button is located directly near the door of each car. This immediately contacts the driver, who can then radio for help. What many people don't know: The emergency call can also be pressed to report heavy soiling or damage to property so that we can also follow up on such incidents immediately.
Inside the buses, the drivers are the contact persons in all cases - whether it is to draw attention to a danger, to report damage to property or if there is harassment by other passengers. The staff on the bus can request help immediately via the HOCHBAHN control center.
The emergency brake is located in the door area, as is the emergency call button. If the emergency brake is applied, the subway continues to the next stop. For good reason, because help can be provided much more quickly at the stop than directly on the line. Our driving personnel will contact you first and will immediately come to the appropriate car after the stop. Good to know: When the train is at a standstill, the emergency brake also serves as an emergency release.
In an emergency, the hammer can be used to break the window at the marked point to create an additional emergency exit. The emergency hammer is within easy reach next to the windows in the bus. If the doors of the bus are blocked after an accident, the marked windows or the hatch in the roof are provided for exit. Emergency openers are located on the inside and outside of the bus doors and are marked with a sign. Once actuated, the doors can be opened by hand. The emergency openers are to be used only in extreme emergencies.
In the event of danger on the platform - e.g. if there are people on the track - the emergency stop should be activated. This stops incoming or outgoing trains. The emergency stop is located on every subway platform at the call column.
In an emergency, the tunnels between the subway stops can be exited via emergency exits. These are marked by blue lights. The escape route to the next stop or to an emergency exit is a maximum of 300 meters.
Escape routes at subway stops are marked by green signs with directional arrows. The majority of our underground subway stops have at least two exits.
The HOCHBAHN operations center
It is the heart of the elevated train building in Hamburg's city center: the HOCHBAHN operations center is where the information for all bus and subway lines comes together. As one of the most modern operations centers in Europe, it unites the control centers of the subway, bus and HOCHBAHN-WACHE - on the top floor of the elevated train building - under one roof in the truest sense of the word.
Over 100 kilometers of environmentally friendly, emission-free mobility: With the U1, U2, U3 and U4 lines, we bring Hamburg to the most important places in the city. And: our network continues to grow ...
