Analysis of Space Usage on Train Station Platforms Based on Trajectory Data

The article presents how boarding and alighting passengers show different behavior at the platform. Alighters leave the platform in a mostly straight way, while boarding passengers arrive with head time to their train and therefore spend some time waiting at the platform. Their trajectories cover a much larger area. Due to the amount of waiting time, the mean speed of boarders is significantly lower than the mean speed of alighters.

Train arrivals and departures structure the processes at railway platforms in time. Therefore, density, speed and flow distributions were calculated for distinct time intervals in relation to train arrival. We discuss how phases of boarding and waiting at a two-sided platform overlap and that each platform side should therefore be considered separately.

The resulting density and speed profiles indicate the characteristics of train induced dynamics at the platform. High-density clusters either occur in regions where passengers wait preferably, in front of train doors or stairs due to congestion. Near stairs or obstacles, which exhibit the possibility of being leaned against, observed densities are higher than in open spaces free of obstacles.

Generally, pedestrians wait on the side of the platform, where the train they intend to board will arrive, even if the density on the other side of the platform is much lower. Speed profiles show only minimal movement during the waiting phases, while the highest speeds occur during boarding and alighting phases. Notable flows were only observed during the boarding and alighting phases.

Article

Journal Article Küpper, M. (Corresponding author) ; Seyfried, A.
Analysis of Space Usage on Train Station Platforms Based on Trajectory Data
Sustainability 12(20), 8325 - (2020) [10.3390/su12208325]