Last weekend, I took the last train home. It was small (only one wagon), some people were drunk, which was okay, as they kept to themselves. I started listening to an audiobook and drifted off to sleep, only waking up when the train stopped.
On the last station before I had to get off a man took a seat across the aisle. I could see him talking to some security guards, which I thought was about his documents/passport getting checked.
My headphones broke down, and I realized that the man was playing music from his phone speakers- it was louder than necessary, and the quality was pretty bad. I asked him to use the headphones he brought, but he refused, claiming he wore them all day at work (it was a Saturday, hence I doubt he was working). He turned it down a bit, so I took a book out and started reading. Later, he turned it up again, and I approached him more rudely- which resulted in him insulting me in incredibly personal ways (how I probably never had fun in my life, why I was commuting to a city at night if not to party, guessing how many times I fell on my head during childhood, etc.)
I halfway managed to fix my headphones by then, so I didn't hear most of it (only the bass of his music and some insults), and decided it wasn't worth the hassle and left, which was annoying, as I didn't find another good place and it felt like letting him win.
Some of the other train passengers, almost exclusively Germans (according to their accents) and sleeping/quietly talking) told him off once, but none of them were sitting as close as I was.
I doubt the train conductor could have done anything else than kick him off the train. What could I have done that would have improved the situation?
Cultural context is Western Europe/Germany.