Optimization of Passenger Distribution at Metro Stations Through a Guidance System

The steady growth of population in cities demands an efficient subway management system. To alleviate crowding on certain trains and subway lines, especially during rush hours, we propose a system which optimizes passenger distribution. Through visual cues directly displayed on the waiting platform, the passengers are informed about the wagons' occupation rates, so that they can make a decision about which wagon to use before the subway arrives. Experimental results show that the relevance of the implementation is significant for both passenger satisfaction as well as train operators. In combination with a graphical user interface, the advantages of a guidance system could be demonstrated. The acceptance of our system was guaranteed by 75% of the passengers questioned, who stated they would use such a guidance system.