Government and Local Response
State Secretary for Public Transport and Environment, Thierry Aartsen, pointed to Almelo station as a national focus of the safety campaign. The Dutch government has indicated that it will allocate €20 million to improve safety at stations identified with high risk, although it is not clear how much of that will be allocated to Almelo. VVD councillor Ger Vermeulen emphasized a sense of urgency for action and pointed to the fact that "it can't happen soon enough" and asked for clarification on the government plans.



The city has also taken some action to prevent disturbances. Early in September, Mayor Korteland introduced a restricted area order for troublemakers near and around the railway station. Vermeulen added that more has to be done to improve safety and access in the area.



Infrastructure and Safety Issues
Vermeulen mentioned other design and safety issues with the railway station related to the narrow, divided rail tunnel, small platforms, poor lighting, and no entry or exit gates. He stated, "The tunnel should not be divided," and suggested the platforms and stairwells should be widened.

In addition to the railway station safety, broader safety issues remain in the city related to vandalism, aggressive behaviour, and overt drug use in the city centre remain an issue.

To address these issues, Almelo has this year install.