Introduction
Subway transfer stations are crucial for urban transit but face challenges like overcrowding, misaligned train schedules, and inefficient designs. These issues can cause congestion, delays, bottlenecks, and network disruptions, affecting efficiency and safety.
Simulation modeling may address these transit challenges by creating virtual scenarios to analyze passenger flow, identify bottlenecks, and test solutions like layout changes and operational adjustments. This passenger behavior modeling data-driven approach enhances efficiency, reduces congestion, and supports sustainable urban transit, promoting eco-friendly public transportation.
Simulation model
AnyLogic's versatility in system dynamics, discrete-event, and agent-based modeling makes it ideal for complex systems. Its transportation and pedestrian behavior modeling simulation tools, combined with pre-built models and a Pedestrian Library, enable precise simulation of passenger behavior in crowded subway systems.
The core framework of the model is a discrete-event simulation that tracks passenger movement, train schedules, platform assignments, and crowd control measures. Additionally, an agent-based modeling component is integrated to capture decision-making processes and dynamic interactions among individuals.
By integrating passenger behavior modeling, the model can accurately represent passenger flows across layers, factoring in escalators and turnstiles.
Read also: How AnyLogic has been used in real-world case studies to solve transportation and passenger flow challenges.
Results
The passenger behavior modeling simulation at the subway station identified key bottlenecks and high-density areas, particularly at pathway intersections and near entrances and exits. Regional density maps highlighted congestion hotspots within the station.
Deep red zones in the density maps revealed dangerously high crowd levels, risking safety and hindering passenger flow. Congestion worsened during peak hours, with some passengers experiencing over ten-minute delays in bottleneck areas.
The heatmaps reveal that passenger flow is densest along the station's main thoroughfare, especially at platform access points, turnstiles, and junctions. These insights can guide station design to alleviate congestion and enhance safety and efficiency.
The simulation revealed that the current station design and strategies cannot handle peak passenger volumes effectively. To address bottlenecks and improve efficiency, potential solutions include reconfiguring pathways, adding barriers or guidance systems, and expanding key choke points with extra entrances, exits, or wider corridors.
The simulation results highlight opportunities for transit authorities to address growing public transportation demands. By leveraging simulation-based analysis and iterative design, planners can improve commuter experience, operational efficiency, and the station's capacity to serve a dense urban population.