Over 11,000 people want women-only Tube carriages — but are they just a ‘gimmick’?

Feeling unsafe on the tube at night is an unfair yet often unavoidable reality for thousands of Londoners.

There were 2,671 sexual offences across TFL services between 2023 and 2024, not including those that went unreported to the police. This marks a 10.5% increase from the previous years.

So, it’s unsurprising that the conversation regarding women-only tube carriages has once again re-entered the ether. This time, it’s been pushed to the front of everyone’s minds by one particularly determined 21-year-old student, Camille Brown.

With a change.org petition signed by over 11,000 people and the attention of London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, Camille is asking that at least one dedicated women-only carriage be introduced on every tube line in an attempt to curb gender-based harassment on the underground.

Having grown up in London, Camille has personal experience witnessing and being a victim herself to this kind of behaviour on the tube. ‘I distinctly remember, to this day, being about to get off the Circle Line at Baker Street and a man harassing me to spend the day with him, instead of going to school,’ she writes on the petition.

‘I was utterly terrified, and the thought that kept coming into my mind was, ‘but I’m in school uniform?’ Unfortunately, even that is not armour enough to protect against intimidation, harassment, or even assault.’

Women-only carriages have already been implemented in a number of countries. Japan, for example, introduced women-only train cars in the early 2000s to combat sexual harassment and groping.

In cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, these particular trains can be identified by pink or purple signs on the train doors and specific markings on the floor.

Back in the UK, there have been some improvements made to try and help women and girls feel safer on public transport. In November 2024, the Met installed CCTV cameras at a further 15 bus shelters across the city, focusing on quiet locations with a high footfall and a history of reported crime.

However, initiatives such as this have done little to quell women’s fears. Camille’s petition touches on how the physical layout of the tube plays a massive role in facilitating crime: ‘It’s crowded, enclosed, and anonymous environment can make victims more vulnerable and perpetrators feel less accountable.

‘Overcrowded conditions also provide perpetrators with opportunities to harass women unnoticed or without consequence.’

Is the public in favour of this idea?

Some members of the public seem to embrace the concept of women-only carriages, saying that they’re ‘absolutely up for this’ and totally in favour of introducing more ‘safe spaces for women.’

However it’s also been dubbed a ‘gimmick solution’, which avoids tackling the serious problem regarding violence against women and girls.

Solace, a women’s aid organisation operating in London, expands on this concern.

Josie Holden Wilby, head of operations for community services at Solace tells Metro: ‘The introduction of women-only carriages would place the burden of safety exclusively onto women, when it is those who harass women who should be made to change their behaviour. 

‘While it is essential that women have resources to support their safety, systems that normalise gender-based abuse will create the expectation that men are unable to – and therefore do not have to – meet the minimal societal expectation not to harm others.’

‘Harassment on public transport remains a serious issue, and it is vital that both the public and authorities take it seriously. Everyone can play a part in making transport safer, by calling out inappropriate behaviour or distracting perpetrators with simple questions – if it is safe to do so – and reporting harassment.

‘Equally, police and transport authorities must take reports seriously and ensure perpetrators are held to account,’ she continued.

Would women-only Tube carriages be effective?

There are legitimate concerns regarding how women-only carriages might negatively ostracise and stir up hatred towards the trans community.

Data from 2024 revealed that the Metropolitan Police documented ‘520 offences motivated by hostility or prejudice against transgender people or people perceived to be transgender.’

And with the UK Supreme Court recently ruling that transgender women do not legally fall under the category of ‘women,’ this community is facing threats from every layer of society.

In the same way that public toilets have become a battleground for who is ‘woman enough’ to use them, segregated Tube carriages may end up becoming yet another space where both trans and cis women have their identity or their perceived ‘right’ to be there questioned.

Plus, there’s a strong argument to be made that someone intent on committing a crime or harassing women will find a way to do so, irrespective of any pink signage.

Will women-only Tube carriages become a reality?

Shortly after Camille’s petition went live, Transport for London announced that it would not be considering women-only tube carriages.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, made a statement noting how the priority is to work closely with the police and use intelligence to determine hot spots and target repeat offenders.

The statement read: ‘We do not support any proposal for female-only train carriages on TfL services, but instead are working closely with the police to ensure our capital’s transport network is a hostile place for offenders, including the use of intelligence-led policing operations to target offenders and hotspot locations.’

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