Platform screen doors on emergency evacuation in underground railway stations

Platform screen door (PSD) systems are starting to be popular in underground railway stations. However, there is a concern that PSDs would affect passenger movement during emergency, particularly during rush hours. In this paper, the effect of PSDs on emergency evacuation under crowded conditions will be studied. The characteristics of passenger flow in crowded subway stations in Hong Kong are surveyed. Evacuation times under different passenger loadings from a train vehicle are estimated by empirical equations using the data collected from the survey. Several scenarios with different opening conditions of PSD are considered. Results are useful for working out emergency evacuation strategies for crowded subway stations.

► Effect of platform screen doors PSDs on evacuation in underground railway stations. ► Evacuation simulation of a subway train in Hong Kong as an example. ► Evacuation time increased by 200% if door width reduced by 50% during peak hours. ► Safety management should be worked out to ensure trains stop at the right position. ► Train doors and PSDs should open simultaneously.