Optimising passenger flows through stations

**背景**铁路公司已经在一些车站站台引入了区域标志，以帮助乘客上车；尽管目前尚不清楚乘客是否理解这种做法或是否被证明有效。因此，乘客在月台上的分布往往不是最好的；这导致列车车门拥堵和登车时间过长，因为上车的乘客需要等待下车的乘客离开车厢才能上车。当火车晚点时，这个问题就变得更加复杂，特别是在繁忙的换乘车站。我们建议的解决方案将根据每节车厢的离开乘客人数，直观地引导上车乘客到站台上划出的区域，以最大限度地减少整体上车时间，并避免“羊群行为”。这将有助于减少列车延误，最大限度地减少拥堵和乘客不适，并通过避免高乘客密度来提高站台安全。**解决方案**建议的解决方案包括：1.使用包括传感器和其他数据在内的现有基础设施检测车站站台上的客流的方法。该方法将依赖于线性代数来推断不直接监测的客流。显示当前客流和拥堵程度的仪表盘。这将大大提高运营车站工作人员在月台上看到乘客拥堵的程度，并使他们能够在知情的情况下作出决定，例如将工作人员派往哪里，将乘客推到哪里；以及让乘客知道在月台上移动到哪里。根据PFM射频信标的历史数据，结合列车开放到达和载客量数据，编制站台上客流的始发/目的地矩阵(即到达列车的下车和下车乘客)。一种计算乘客沿站台位置的方法，从而优化列车上车操作。该方法是基于乘客上、下机人数的预测。这将为乘客和车站工作人员提供动态建议，以促进乘客在站台上的重新分配。**差异化**我们相信，我们提出的解决方案将传递三个关键优势：1.3D模拟闭路电视图像作为替代的真实闭路电视数据，可以用于模拟场景和极端事件，而不会损害数据隐私或访问极端事件的闭路电视镜头。2.我们的目标是使用算法方法来推断跨越传感器“盲点”的流量；从而最大限度地减少对重大新传感器基础设施的投资需求。使用安装在车站的射频信标结合开放列车到达和载客量数据来生成半真实的客运量。Novell用户界面可以“推动”乘客避免羊群行为，从而加剧情况。**商业化**有机会将拟议的解决方案扩展到整个英国和全球铁路行业，并扩展到其他在促进乘客安全和顺畅流动方面面临类似挑战的运输行业，包括机场。

**Background**Railway companies have introduced zone marking on some station platforms to assist passenger boarding; although it is not clear that the way this is currently implemented is either understood by passengers or proving effective. Consequently, passengers are frequently not distributed optimally along the platform; and this results in congestion at train doors and longer than necessary boarding times as embarking passengers need to wait for disembarking passengers to leave the carriage before they can board. This issue is compounded when trains are delayed, especially at busy interchange stations. Our proposed solution will visually guide embarking passengers to demarcated zones on the platform based on the number of passengers leaving each carriage, to minimise the overall train boarding time and avoid “herd behaviour”. This will help to reduce train delays, minimise congestion and passenger discomfort, and improve platform safety by avoiding high passenger densities.**Solution**The proposed solution includes:1. A method to detect passenger flows on the station platform using existing infrastructure including sensor and other data. The method will depend on linear algebra to deduce passenger flows that are not directly monitored.2. A dashboard visualising current passenger flows and congestion levels. This will significantly increase the visibility of passenger congestion on the platform for operational station staff and enabling them to take informed decisions e.g. where to dispatch staff, where to nudge passengers; and for passengers to know where to move on the platform.3. Development of an origin/destination matrix of passenger flows on the platform (i.e. disembarking and embarking passenger of arriving trains) from PFM RF beacons historical data in conjunction with open train arrival and occupancy data.4. A method to calculate positioning of passengers along the platform, such that train boarding operations is optimised. The method is based on the predicted number of passengers embarking and disembarking. This will provide dynamic recommendations to passengers and station staff to facilitate a redistribution of passengers along the platform.**Differentiation**We believe that our proposed solution approach will convey three key advantages over those currently available:1. 3D simulated CCTV images as an alternative real CCTV data which could be used to model scenarios and extreme events without compromising data privacy or having access to CCTV footage of extreme events. 2. We aim to use algorithmic approaches to infer flows across sensor "blind-spots"; thereby minimising the need for investment in significant new sensor infrastructure.3. Generating semi-real passenger volumes using RF beacons installed at the station in conjunction with open train arrival and occupancy data.4. Novell user interface to “nudge” passengers avoiding herd behaviour to exacerbate situation.**Commercialisation**Opportunities exist to scale the proposed solution across the UK and global rail industries and into other transportation sectors, including airports, that are facing similar challenges in facilitating the safe and smooth flow of passengers.