Passenger flow analysis of the main Station Hamburg on the U5 line

A new subway line will be connected to Hamburg Central Station in 2030. In order to gain knowledge for later operation in the planning phase, accu:rate was commissioned with a people flow analysis.

Description
Client: Hamburger Hochbahn AG
Task: Passenger flow analysis
Result: Evaluation and optimization of the station layout for later operation

Background

After Berlin, Hamburg has the second oldest subway network in Germany: the first subway went into operation in 1912. The Hamburger HOCHBAHN has maintained this innovative orientation since then and sees its employees as mobility experts whose goal is to create sustainable solutions that are in harmony with people and the environment. And the HOCHBAHN also has the courage to try new technologies, like autonomous driving or passenger flow analyses.
"Our top priority is to create sustainable mobility. This also means that our train stations can withstand the forecast increase in passenger numbers. The simulation answered precisely these questions, enabling us to react early to critical points that we would otherwise only have noticed during operation." (Roluf Hinrichsen, Hamburger Hochbahn AG)

Objective of the simulation

An additional underground line is to be connected to Hamburg Central Station in 2030. In order to be prepared for the increased number of passengers and to avoid cost-intensive renovation measures, accu:rate was commissioned to check the design and dimensions of the station, to identify critical points and to evaluate the quality of stay.

Our approach

  • Analysis of the passenger flows on the platform and the mezzanine floors at the peak hour and the following hour in order to determine the expected density of people and identify bottlenecks.
  • Consideration of various parameters, e.g. people with and without luggage to compare different scenarios.
  • Evaluation of quality of stay in the entire area.

Results

The simulation made it possible to evaluate the quality of stay n the platform area with the forecast passenger numbers and to identify bottlenecks. Based on the results, we were able to work out proposals for further planning together with the HOCHBAHN for sustainable and economical planning.
Fig.: Evaluation of platform occupancy according to quality levels
Image sources: Julian_Hamburg auf Pixabay https://pixabay.com/de/users/julian_hamburg-5842379/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2687544
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