---
title: "Physical distancing in public transport: an approach based on flow studies"
url: "https://www.systra.com/en/expert_insights/physical-distancing-in-public-transport-an-approach-based-on-flow-studies/"
type: expert_insights
date_published: 2020-05-18
date_modified: 2021-06-24
schema:
  @type: WebPage
language: en-US
word_count: 918
reading_time: 5 min
canonical: "https://www.systra.com/en/expert_insights/physical-distancing-in-public-transport-an-approach-based-on-flow-studies/"
featured_image: "https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/bandeau_re_physical_distancing.jpg"
type-insight:
  - Metro
---

# Physical distancing in public transport: an approach based on flow studies

![Physical distancing in public transport: an approach based on flow studies](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/bandeau_re_physical_distancing.jpg)

**The health crisis will require physical distancing to continue for some time.
What will the impacts be on people’s daily lives, especially in public places
such as metro stations, railway stations, seaports, airports, as well as museums
and other meeting points?
Passenger flow studies can provide solutions. SYSTRA’s experts present a
practical case for a subway station.

The current health crisis and government instructions, particularly the ones
about lockdown, have substantially reduced travelling and the use of public
transport. Although the health crisis is beginning to abate, distancing measures
will remain in place to help prevent further propagation of the virus. For this
reason,
**it is vital to continue to impose physical distancing for an indefinite period**
, as lockdown restrictions are eased, people begin to travel again and economic
activity resumes.

![re_1](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/re_1.jpg)

What will the repercussions be on daily journeys using public transport? One
aspect that must be analysed is the management of passenger flows through
confined places such as metro stations. Another is the occupancy of carriages,
which will be reduced in compliance with distancing rules.
**This question requires a system-wide approach**, which must include the
station’s ’holding’ capacity, as well as passenger flow.

**Passenger flow studies can offer solutions to this problem**. They can be used
to check the safety and comfort of passengers in line with distancing measures.
They can also underpin recommendations to ensure robust and optimised use of
public space and passenger flows.

The video below produced by our staff shows two dynamic simulations (\*)of a
practical situation in a metro station:

- an ordinary service situation in a station handling 2,000 passengers during
  the peak quarter of an hour;
- a situation during the easing of restrictions after lockdown,
  **recommending changes to respect various measures, and visualising the consequences of physical distancing**
  compared to the normal situation.

_(\*) The blue dots depict passengers entering in the station (passengers embarking), the red dots represent passengers moving towards the exit (passengers alighting.)_

[[

_Click here to watch the video_

Physical distancing requires more space for passengers. Metro stations cannot to
handle their usual peak period footfall. To guarantee the best service possible,
we recommend several modifications to make best use of station space (coloured
orange in the video).
**In our case study, these arrangements enable up to 70% of the usual peak period passengers to pass through**
, by respecting the following recommendations:

- intuitive (nudge) floor markings, applying physical distancing in the
  passenger waiting and walking areas;
- intermediate waiting zones supervised by staff or dynamic signage, where
  passengers wait to access stairs and automatic ticket controls, as well as on
  the station forecourt;
- flow management coordinated with service at the station, such as switching off
  half of the automatic ticket control lines, staircases reserved respectively
  for passengers entering and leaving, use of dematerialised tickets and passes
  to minimise crowds around kiosks, vending machines etc.

The station in the model functions correctly during off-peak periods, showing no
signs of congestion. For a station that is already saturated under normal
circumstances, the 70% figure must be lowered (according to the same available
space).

This preliminary approach does not integrate the physical distancing that will
be required in metro carriages. That will reduce the payload of each unit(\*)
and so the capacity of the station might be further diminished.
**We could certainly build a more complex model to incorporate this.**
_(\*) The dynamic simulation supposes that all the passengers waiting on platforms can always board the train._

![re_2_yes](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/re_2_yes.jpg)

However, adjustments to service (the headway between trains), as well as control
of station access, could alter these conditions, thereby changing waiting
conditions in the public area (station forecourt). The number of passengers
observed in a normal service situation depends on service on the metro, as well
as the connections with other modes of transport. As a result, the overall level
of service provided by the network is modified in a crisis situation. This
inevitably affects the number of passengers in the station.

**This simulation should therefore be part of an overall study of transport and
physical distancing in all public spaces, which can be modelled using our
tools.Two major issues should be examined together: final footfall in the
station, and ridership in metro carriages, to prevent the system from being
overwhelmed.

The guidelines for dealing with these issues call for more general
recommendations:

- continue to encourage working from home, or at least adjust the times of
  certain activities to limit the number of passengers on trains and in stations
  at peak periods;
- close certain stations to increase commercial speed. Trains can run more
  frequently using the same resources (numbers of trains and drivers). Invite
  passengers who need to go short distances to use other (active) modes;
- encourage the use of other transport modes (walking, cycling, scooters and
  electric scooters, taxis, ride sharing);
- develop tools and applications (such as MaaS, Mobility as a Service) to send
  quality information instantaneously to travellers, such as:
  - the number of passengers on a transport mode, thereby redirecting passengers
    to alternative modes, to avoid possible congestion and wasted time,
  - choosing a seat in a metro carriage (also on a bus or light rail car), using
    a reservation system linked to a quota, to limit the number of passengers on
    public transport.

In every case, the rules for physical distancing in the transport systems of
great metropolises will inevitably reduce the number of passengers that can be
carried.