KOTI - Korea Transport institute

# Considering users who have no choice but to use urban railroads amid the spread of COVID-19, how would urban railway operators or local governments change their stations for a good alternative?

✔Guidelines for space design of Urban railways

-Consideration of convenience and efficiency for users

-Space to accommodate the minimum level of service

# Results of Survey on the use of urban railway service,

-Confliction or duplication between railway routes

-Huge difference between actual congestion level and the desired congestion level at the platforms 

-Long travel distance and complicated routes

-Lower satisfaction of transferable station than non-transferable station

-The least reflected projects of the travel route simplification and its separation

-Congestion from long distance to travel and crowded users

✔Number one complaint about platforms

Confliction or duplication between railway routes 

# Reflecting these railway users’ opinions, the central government, local government and the operators should cooperate each other to prepare the congestion control system and take a measure for the design of railway stations considering the users’ movements.

# In order to improve the movement routes in the urban railway stations, net usable area of the station should be considered and the spot where many movement routes are conflicted should be analyzed.

<-Consideration of Net Usable Areas->

# In order to improve the information system in the stations, by informing them of the congestion information on a real-time basis so that the separation of users’ movement routes and the increased convenience can be promoted.

* Real-time information Guide System within Urban Railway Stations- The information system (using QR code attached) to provide passage in real time when a user enters the station to arrive or destination.

# The application of the relaxed design criteria is also required for COVID-19 prevention.

The distance between passengers depending on the level of congestion per each station should be calculated for platforms, external entrance and travel passages.

# Besides, Korea Transport Institute listened to citizens for the alternative policy to improve the congestion of Urban Railway system.

✔Improvement measures for the railway congestion and health environment, suggested by Citizen's Policy Committee.

-Expanded congestion alert service per Passenger Coach

-Governmental supervising system for congestion of urban railway

-Regular congestion monitoring system

-Nonscheduled COVID-19 Prevention Rules Information System

-Improvement in health environment of stations with the installment of large air purifiers

-Resolution of bottle-necked route in consideration of movement routes in stations

-Review on the impact of congestion depending on the types of passengers' waiting and getting on/off

# Lastly, more systematic urban railway congestion management should be made with the thorough improvement in the legal system as the congestion greatly affects the safety of urban railway.

# Hopefully the form of railway use could be changed in consideration of users' convenience with the overhaul of the urban railway design guideline that has long been stalled. At the same time, it is expected that the measures for users' safety could be planned so that no more exposure to the risk of the infection with the enhanced COVID-19 preventions.

* This card news is produced by modifying and supplementing the basic research report 'The Measures to Improve Space in Stations from the User's Perspective for the Improvement of Urban Railway Congestion and Health Environment'.