Nervous Moments in Tyrol

Knife Attack on a Train: Conductor Becomes a Hero

ÖBB conductor Hussein Al Tamro (right) kept his cool during a knife attack on the Cityjet.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Hubert Berger)

Dramatic scenes on the rails in Tyrol: A passenger armed with a knife threatened three young men. While fear spread through the Cityjet train traveling from Innsbruck to Kufstein, ÖBB train attendant Hussein Al Tamro kept his cool.

It all began with a single sentence: “He’s got a knife!” Seconds earlier, the Cityjet CJX 1 had been just an ordinary regional train. It departed from Innsbruck toward Kufstein at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Commuters were dozing off after work, families were on their way home, and children were leaning against their parents. Outside the windows, the summery Inn Valley shimmered. In an instant, everything changed.