The shudder of disbelief that rippled through Zurich Hauptbahnhof on Tuesday afternoon was felt across Europe’s interconnected travel network. A man armed with a kitchen knife rampaged through the station’s main concourse, injuring four people before being subdued by police. As the suspect, a 30-year-old asylum seeker from Eritrea, was taken into custody, the incident reignited a familiar debate: the fragile balance between open borders and public safety.
For those watching from smoke-filled station cafés in Paris, Berlin or London, the news was an unsettling reminder that the continent’s arteries are only as secure as their weakest link. The victims, a mix of commuters and tourists, were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening wounds. But the psychological scar on the Swiss psyche is deeper.
Switzerland, a country that prides itself on order and neutrality, now joins the list of European nations grappling with the reality of lone-wolf attacks. The question being whispered on the platforms is not if this will happen again, but where. For the average traveller, the attack will mean more police patrols, bag searches and anxious glances at fellow passengers.
The era of carefree European travel, already eroded by terrorism and the pandemic, suffers another quiet blow.
