Berlin lawmaker proposes women-only train carriages like in Tokyo

Berlin should introduce separate underground train carriages for female passengers to ensure a sense of safety at all times, Antje Kapek, a lawmaker for the Green Party in the city-state, told the Bild newspaper.

"There is a really great idea that I have taken from Tokyo, where special compartments for women have been designated in the evening hours," Kapek said, the Bild reported on Wednesday.

"They have a protected space that allows them to travel by underground rail even at rush hour, even in a great crush, without being touched up or assaulted," she said.

The evening rush hour when the trains are full could often be particularly unpleasant for women, she said. The number of attacks on women also rose during the night hours, Kapek added.

Her ideas remain a proposal among the Berlin Greens. There are as yet no proposals for legislation.

Kapek's proposal followed a rape in the Berlin metro in the spring. A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of harassing and then raping a woman in the Zehlendorf district of Berlin.

He reportedly then left the train and continued his journey by bus. He was arrested a few weeks later after an investigation.

The city's BVG public transport company expressed scepticism at the proposal and said current precautions were adequate. "We devote maximum effort to ensure that all passengers arrive at their destination in safety and with a good feeling," the BVG said in response to a question.

There were facilities at every station for anyone feeling unwell or in need of assistance to contact BVG staff, it said. Some 250 security staff were on duty round the clock and certain stations were staffed day and night, it said.