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People Flow
over 50 countries.

KONE Corporation
www.kone.com
in transit stations
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 Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................... 4

2. Concepts behind People Flow™ planning.......................................... 7

2.1 Circulation concepts................................................................................ 7
2.2 Passenger characteristics.......................................................................... 11
2.3 Passenger routing.................................................................................... 15
2.4 Station types............................................................................................ 19
2.5 Platforms................................................................................................. 20

3. Number of devices per level................................................................ 3

3.1 General planning principles..................................................................... 23
3.2 Building doors......................................................................................... 25
3.3 Platform screen doors.............................................................................. 27
3.4 Turnstiles & ticketing............................................................................... 28
3.5 Stairways................................................................................................. 29
3.6 Escalators................................................................................................. 30
3.7 Horizontal and inclined autowalks............................................................ 34
3.8 Elevators.................................................................................................. 35
3.9 Planning tools.......................................................................................... 38

4.  References.......................................................................................... 40

2 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 3
 1. Introduction

Transit stations are characterized by the When all this information is collated, the means
GROUND FLOOR
absence of a static or permanent population, of vertical transportation of each station can
and the presence of pulsating, heavy flows then be defined on the basis of the number of
UNPAID AREA PAID AREA UNPAID AREA
of people moving through a space. In such passengers flowing through the stations.
an environment, it is essential that people
Starting Means of Means of
can move forward smoothly without forming Today’s sophisticated transportation systems Building Desti-
point transpor- Building transpor-
tation door door nation
cumulative queues during their journey give passengers smooth, pleasant and safe tation
through the station. Circulation in transit travel experiences. Selecting the most suitable

Ele lator
esc rs
Finding the Finding the

sta

vat
stations requires careful planning of all equipment – elevators, escalators, autowalks

a
entrance connection

esc ator/
/
i

or/

sta lator
transportation devices so that their handling and automatic doors – sizing them correctly

v
/

Ele
a
irs
capacities will meet the peak traffic demand. and locating them to optimize People Flow, are
Circulation in a station has to be fluent every key issues in the design of properly functioning Security
day, and station evacuation also has to be transit stations for metros and railway traffic. point

considered during the design phase.

Buying Ticket Opening the Opening the
The purpose of this planning guide is to
the ticket counter ticket gates ticket gates
Transportation planning is done early in the provide guidelines for determining the number
design process when the decision has been of transportation devices, their size, and their Ticket
Ticket
gate
gate
made to construct the metro or railway line, locations in a transit station. Detailed product
and there is a preliminary estimation of the information, such as dimensions, duty classes
number of stations and their locations. The and specific features, is found in separate TICKETING FLOOR

Ele lator
esc rs
city plan provides key information, as it shows Escalator & Autowalk planning guides. [1] [2]

sta

vat

esc ator/
sta lator/
a
i

or/
both the current and the future development

v
a
Ele
/

irs
of station surroundings, which also affect the
expected People Flow through the stations.
Taking the Getting to the
optimal spot Platform Metro Platform platform and
for entering finding the way out

PLATFORM FLOOR

Figure 1. Elements of a passenger's journey.

4 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 5
 2. Concepts behind
People Flow™ Planning
2.1 Circulation concepts

Traffic in transit stations is heavy for 16 - 24 hours a

day. Times when traffic peaks occur vary depending on
the country, culture, location and type of the station.
The wear on transportation devices (e.g. number
of elevator starts), strongly correlates to the length
of time the station is open to the public. Often the
heaviest traffic peaks are after working hours. In the
Helsinki metro the maximum number of station visitors
is about 12000 persons per hour as shown in Figure 2.

Daily People Flow™ in a transit station

14000

12000

10000

Persons per hour

8000

6000

4000

2000

00

00

00

00

00

00

00
0

:0

:0

:0

:
:
1:

3:

5:

7:

9:

17

23
11

21
13

15

19
Time of day

Figure 2. People Flow during the day in a transit station

6 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 7
 Terminology Level of service

The key terms used in conjunction with People Flow™ Level of Service (LOS) is based on Fruin pedestrian queuing
planning and circulation are explained in Figure 3 tables in lobbies, waiting areas, stairways and corridors. [17]
and Table 1. The Fruin tables describe the density of people in a given
area. They can be used as one of the decision variables when
planning transit stations. Level of Service is a classification
Service quality parameters scheme, in which classes A-F are applied according to the
space available for individuals. Class A corresponds to the
Journey time situation where people have plenty of space around them.
At the other extreme, class F means congestion. Table 2
and Figure 4 show examples of LOS classes.

Waiting time Transit time

Interval
Table 2. LOS definition by Fruin [17]
Event
LOS Definition Pedestrian space (m2/person)
Previous Passenger Passenger enters Next Doors start Passenger
elevator arrives/ joins the transport/ to open at exits the
the waiting serving elevator elevator
leaves leaves destination equipment Horizontal autowalks Stairways Waiting Areas
queue opens doors floor

Figure 3. Definitions of service quality parameters A Free Circulation Zone ≥ 3.3 ≥ 1.9 ≥ 1.21

B Restricted Circulation Zone 2.3 – 3.3 1.4 – 1.9 0.93 – 1.21

Table 1. Terminology for People Flow planning

C Personal Comfort Zone 1.4 – 2.3 0.9 – 1.4 0.65 – 0.93

Term Explanation

Interval The time between elevator departures from the main floor. D No Touch Zone 0.9 – 1.4 0.7 – 0.9 0.28 – 0.65
The time between train arrivals at the station.
E Touch Zone 0.5 – 0.9 0.4 – 0.7 0.19 – 0.28
Waiting time The time from the moment a person joins the waiting queue until the
serving elevator arrives and starts to open its doors, or a person can enter
an escalator. F The Body Ellipse < 0.5 < 0.4 < 0.19

Transit time Time for loading and traveling with a device until arriving at the
destination.

Journey time Time an individual spends waiting and traveling with a device until arriving
at the destination and exiting the device, or arriving at the escalator
landing plate.

Evacuation time Total time from alarm until all passengers are out of the building
(rescue area).

Egress time Time it takes for all passengers to ascend/descend to the exit floor.
Reaction time is not included in the egress time.

Level of Service (LOS) Classifies the different facilities according to the space available for
individuals (e.g. crowded places have a lower LOS).

Handling / transportation capacity Number of people or percentage of building population that elevators,
escalators, stairs, doorway, train, etc. can carry within a given time, usually
in five minutes or one hour.

Rated capacity Number of persons that a device can carry

(elevator car size in persons or people per escalator step).

Rated load Load in kilograms that an elevator or escalator can carry in normal
circumstances.

Load / utilization factor The current number of passengers as a percentage of the rated capacity.

8 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 9
 LEVEL OF SERVICE A
Walking speeds freely selected; 2.2 Passenger characteristics
conflicts with other pedestrians
unlikely.
People Flow™ is affected by three main factors regarding
passengers:

• The number and characteristics of the people passing

LEVEL OF SERVICE B
Walking speeds freely selected;
pedestrians respond to presence
of others.
LEVEL OF SERVICE C
Walking speeds freely selected;
passing is possible in unidirectional
streams, minor conflicts for reverse
or cross movement.
through.
• The layout and locations of the facilities.
• How people find their way in a station, and the type
of buildings in the surrounding area.
The types of passengers expected to pass through the
station also define the types of facilities that are required.
At the same time, the number of passengers during
peak hours determines the required number of facilities.
Finally, layout and location of the facilities affect the ease
of use: a logical sequence of the facilities in addition to
good signage is needed for efficient navigation. All these
aspects of the People Flow need to be well-defined in
the station design by considering the human factors and
characteristics discussed in this section.

LEVEL OF SERVICE D
Freedeom to select walking speed
and pssothers is restricted; high
probability of conflicts for reverse
or cross movement.

LEVEL OF SERVICE E
Walking speeds and passsing ability are
restricted for all pedestrians; forward
movement is possible only by shuffling;
reverse or cross movements are possible only
with extreme difficulty; volumes approach
limit of walking capacity.

LEVEL OF SERVICE F
Walking speeds are severely restricted;
frequent, unavoidable contact with others;
reverse or cross movements are virtually
impossible; flow is sporadic and unstable.
Figure 4. Examples of different levels of service

10 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 11
 Cultural differences Age distribution
Physical and behavioral characteristics vary between people
but are mostly affected by local customs, manners and
Compared to the general population, passengers
other cultural issues. Some cultural aspects are presented
using public transportation tend to be mainly adults,
in Table 3.
with fewer children and elderly people.

An example of age distribution in the USA is shown

in Figure 5.

Table 3. Cultural differences affecting passenger behavior

Characteristic Examples 25%

Walking speed In larger cities of East Asia and Europe (e.g. Singapore, Copenhagen, Madrid), average
20%
walking speed can reach 1.7 m/s, whereas in cities in the Middle East (e.g. Manama,
Amman, Damascus, Dubai), people walk more slowly, at 1.0 - 1.2 m/s [4]
15%
Walking side People tend to walk on the same side of a passageway as their traffic flow. Left-hand
traffic in 75 countries, including U.K., Australia, Thailand, India, Japan, South Africa;
10%
right-hand traffic in 164 countries. [5]

Social distance Asian and Latin people accept closer distance than western cultures [6] . On the other 5%
hand, in Arabic countries social distance seems to be greater.
0%
Age distribution Western countries have a larger percentage of elderly people.
Under 15 15 - 25 25 - 35 35 - 45 45 - 55 55 - 65 Over 65 Age

Prevalence of disabilities In high-income countries older people make up a greater proportion of the population Figure 5. Age distribution using public transportation, USA [8]
but have lower levels of disability than their counterparts in low- and middle-income
countries. Moderate disability rates are similar for males and females in high-income
countries, but females have somewhat higher rates of severe disability. [7]

New users In some countries there are people who have never used an escalator or elevator.

Moving aids In some countries, disabled people rarely use wheelchairs, which are commonly used in Disabilities Walking speed
western countries.
Disabilities can affect the walking speed and the Average walking speed in passageways is between
space required for moving (e.g. when people are 0.7 - 2.0 m/s [6] , and is getting faster, especially in
Prams In some cultures prams are not used at all. using moving aids). Disability prevalence is 4 - 17 % larger cities. When designing, a value of 1.25 m/s
of the population depending on the country. [17] should be used [3] . Men tend to walk faster than
Bicycles In some countries, bicycles are used and transported in the subways more than elsewhere women [6] , and people with disabilities will usually
2.9 % of the world’s population (in 2004) was
severely disabled and up to 12.4 % had moderate walk more slowly. The faster people walk, the more
Waiting time In East Asia people do not mind waiting as much as in western countries.
long-term disability. Disabilities are more common space they tend to keep around themselves.
Ride comfort In East Asia people prefer ride comfort inside the elevator whereas in North America amongst elderly people. 46 % of disabled people
elevator efficiency (e.g. higher elevator acceleration) is preferred. are over 60 years old. [6] With a high LOS, people can walk freely as fast as
they wish. In tight situations, people are forced to
Walking on escalators In many countries, one side is for standing, and the other for walking. However, in some
reduce their speed. Average walking speeds with
countries (e.g. India), people stand on both sides, and only the first few people walk up different LOS are presented in Table 4.
the escalator.

12 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 13
 Table 4. LOS definitions for pedestrian speed on horizontal autowalks
LOS Definition
A Free Circulation Zone
B Restricted Circulation Zone
C Personal Comfort Zone
D No Touch Zone
E Touch Zone
F The Body Ellipse
Traveling alone / with a group
When people travel alone, they are more focused on
their environment, whereas people traveling in groups
might have their attention on each other. With larger
groups the walking pace declines. Also when traveling
in a group, the routes are chosen so that everyone will
take the same route: if one person goes to the elevator,
everyone will use it.
Adapting to the crowds
New travelers see how other people are behaving
and will use the routes others are using. The need for
personal space means that people will adjust their
walking speed according to other people in crowded
situations, and walk more slowly if the crowd moves
more slowly.
Route choice is affected by other people. While people
will take routes used by others, extremely crowded
routes are avoided if other possible routes are known. [9]
14 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
2.3 Passenger routing
Horizontal walking speed (m/s)
Optimizing routes
1.3 When designing transportation devices, the passenger
1.25
routes need to be studied before determining the solutions.
There should always be at least one completely accessible
1.22 route from the entrance to the train and back for disabled
people. Preferably all routes should be accessible for all.
1.15
0.77 When people are walking inside familiar surroundings,
they tend to optimize their routes in order to get to their
< 0.77 destination faster, more easily or more pleasantly. Some
people may want to avoid queuing while others may not
want to use several transportation methods, or might
prefer to use elevators. Frequent passengers especially try
out different routes to find the optimal way, and then use
it. New users take a shortcut when they see one, or follow
other people and their paths to reach their destination.
Infrequent users do not see the whole route and tend to
avoid going in the opposite direction of the destination,
even though a small detour might turn out to be a faster
route.
Path optimization takes place throughout the whole route:
From Route out To
Choosing Route to the Place on Choosing
starting from the
destination
exit platform the train exit
point platform
Figure 6. People find their way for the best route through their entire journey
Choosing escalators, stairs or elevators Additional preferences [10] :
Transport selection are based on estimates for the
• Escalators typically handle 80-95 % of the flow.
distribution of people using the escalator, elevator or
stairs. When moving between floors, people choose • Escalators are used up to 5 floors, then elevators are
equipment: preferred.
• Along their optimal route (fastest, easiest, most • Escalators are often preferred over stairs when they are
pleasant). side by side, especially when going up.
• That is closest. Particularly when coming out of a • Stairs are used for 1-3 floors. Especially when the vertical
crowded metro train, the nearest way out is chosen. rise is less than 5 meters, the possibility to use the stairs
is an advantage. With a vertical rise over 10 meters, the
• That others choose, especially if the passenger stairs should not be counted as the means of vertical
is not sure where to go. transportation (emergency exit only). [11]
• Elevators (instead of escalators) are chosen by visually
impaired people.
• Elevators are needed for special passenger traffic
(elderly people, disabled, mothers with children, people
with heavy packages) staff, goods transportation, etc.
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 15
 The distribution of people using stairs, escalators and
elevators is not always the same, but depends on:
1. The location of transportation devices. People take
the equipment on the optimal path.
2. Amount of equipment. If there are only a few
escalators with long queues to them, it might be
faster to take the stairs. The length of the queue
depends on the number of the equipment.
3. The height between floors. With small differences
in levels, stairs are more easily chosen.
4. The condition of the equipment. Elevators or
escalators that seem to be damaged, dirty or make
a strange sound are used less.
In locating the equipment, the routes that people use
need to be identified, and then equipment (especially the
primary means of transportation, often escalators) should
be located along that path.
16 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
Need for guidance
People find their way through a station faster when
they are familiar with the place. First-time users need
guidance, instructions to use equipment and clearly
laid-out solutions, whereas frequent users can navigate
their way through more complex settings. New users
rely many times on the information received from other
passengers. They prefer those routes which others are
using. For frequent users problems might occur when
new arrangements are made and walking paths have to
be changed. They then require guidance to navigate their
way through the station.
The proportion of frequent users increases during rush
hours and weekdays, while there are more new users
during daytime, weekends and holidays. Frequent users
tend to take the fastest possible route, whereas tourists
might walk at a slower pace.
Successful way-finding can be helped by guidance
systems, in which display content, systems design, location
of the signage and symbols play an important role.
Their design needs to be consistent and the terminology
understandable: there should not be too much guidance
information. [11]
People need information about:
• Their current location within the facility.
• Possible destinations.
• Which route to choose in order to get to the
destination.
Navigation guidance is needed throughout the
routes of the passengers from finding the entrance
to the gates to the platform, getting transit schedule
information, leaving at the correct destination to
finding the correct direction out of the exit. Also,
there could be information about rest-rooms,
emergency services, fare information etc. To find the
correct information, the signage needs to be located
at those places where people can get the information
they need. [11]. Withe the KONE MovingMedia
solution even the escalator steps can be used for
guidance purposes.
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 17
 2.4 Station types
There are two different station types: regular stations and
transfer stations. If the station is a transfer station between
two or more metro lines, the number of passengers
traveling between the platforms can be much greater
than people entering or exiting the station. The transfer
connection stations hold the key to dimensioning People
Flow™. In a transfer connection station, people are arriving
as a large group from the other platform. This means the
People Flow is more dense.
To avoid congestion problems, the vertical
transportation devices need to be able to handle
equally heavy People Flow in both directions.
The people should be able to move from the arrival
platform to the connection platform. Within a train
interval, people must not block the way for the
passengers coming with the next arriving train.

Table 5. Comparisons between a regular and a transfer station

Station type Use Effects on People Flow infrastructure

Regular station • Used for entering and exiting a station • Traffic flow between entrances and platform

Transfer station • Used mainly for changing trains • Most traffic between platforms
• Less traffic at entrances

The number of transportation devices in a station is
based on the station usage, which depends on the
type of station and its surrounding area. If the area
has residential buildings, their population affects the
rush hours, since people are going to work or school,
and the main passenger flow in the morning is TO
the station. If the area has schools or offices, the main
traffic flow in the morning is FROM the station
The maximum number of people leaving the
attraction within a defined time period (e.g. half an
hour) should be estimated. The number of people
arriving at that station can be estimated from the
capacity of each car, the number of cars per train,
and the interval of the trains. Table 6 presents some
examples of how a station’s surrounding area can
affect the use of vertical transportation devices.

If there are attractions near the station such as

stadiums or concert halls, traffic peaks will appear
at the end of an event.

Table 6. Effects of a station’s surrounding area of a station on People Flow

Surrounding area Characteristics Effects on escalators, stairs and elevators

Commercial area / • Certain opening hours and days • Less load on escalators
shopping centers • People carry items to the train • Peaks during opening and closing hours
• Less traffic when markets are closed
• If present, elevators could be used more
(when people carry heavy items)

Stadiums / • Very heavy traffic peaks at the • Occasional extremely heavy use on elevators and escalators
concert halls end of the event • Most of the transportation devices should serve the main
direction of flow

Offices • Mainly office people • Fastest and optimal routes are used most
• Heavy traffic during rush hours (in certain directions)
• Less crowded during daytime and on holidays

Long distance • People have luggage • Slower escalators needed, preferably 0.5 m/s, autowalks can be
transfer • More new users 0.65 m/s or higher
connections • More people in groups • Clear layout and guidance needed
(e.g. bus terminal) • Holidays and seasons affect the number of passengers

Attractions nearby • More tourists (first- time pas- • Exit nearest the attraction is used most
sengers) • Self-evident layout needed
• More foreign people • Clear guidance needed

18 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 19
 2.5 Platforms
The practical service standard for a metro platform
is clearance of the platform before the arrival
of the next peak period train. Station platforms
where people move from platform level to
other floors are extremely critical for designing
People Flow™. Even though people may come to
the platform in large groups, crowds are more
typical when the train is emptying. The minimum
requirement is to have the people off the platform
before the next train arrives.
Platform type
There are two types of platform configurations:
center platforms and side platforms, which are
illustrated in Figure 7.
Side platforms
Center platforms
Figure 7. Two main types of platform configuration: side platform and center platform
On a center platform, the total number of vertical
transportation devices can be less than on side
platforms, but the handling capacity calculations need
to account for passengers coming from both trains.
A busy center platform needs to be wide enough for
people to queue for both trains. [11]
20 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
On a side platform, the handling capacity of the
whole station is greater since there are more vertical
transportation devices. The queues to the trains will
not get mixed, and the main traffic flows are more
separate, which makes it easier to handle People
Flow™. [11] Side platforms could be designed so that
the width can be increased later if greater capacity is
required.
Platform width
Platforms of busy stations must be wide enough for
the estimated number of passengers queuing for
the train, and getting off it. Queuing and entering
the train can be supported by marking the locations
to enter the train. This can be done by barriers with
opening doors, barriers with doorways or floor
markings (paint or texture).
Platform entries and exits
Platforms of busy stations should be designed so that
when passengers arrive at the platform floor, they
can clearly see where to go. When visibility is limited,
people do not see if there is space somewhere else,
so they start to queue immediately after reaching the
platform.
If destination platforms are If destination platforms are
EXIT EXIT EXIT EXIT EXIT
AND
...starting platform (and metro) will ...starting platform (and metro) will
be crowded here be crowded here
Figure 8. With several platform exits people will be spread more evenly along the platform and in the metro
People tend to enter the train from an optimal
spot, which later allows them to get off the train
and leave the destination platform as quickly as
possible. If all the stations will have platform exits
in similar places, those parts of the train will be
extremely crowded. Therefore, the location of
platform exits in different stations varies.
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 21
 The vertical transportation devices should be located
along the optimal route for passengers so that the
people flows moving in different directions are not
crossing each other. According to EN 115-1:2008,
escalators should have free space of 2.0 - 2.5 meters
at both ends for queuing depending on the width
of the unrestricted area. In some countries the
recommendation for the depth of the unrestricted area
is 5 meters, but in some cases (e.g. with trolleys) as
much space as possible should be reserved, see Figure 9.
3. Number of devices per level
3.1 General planning principles
In elevator, escalator, autowalk and automatic door
planning, the peak traffic flow is approximated, and the
number of transportation devices should meet the peak
traffic demand. When planning the number and type of
devices the following items should be considered:
• When designing a new station, space could be left
for adding escalators later on, if necessary (e.g. by
replacing stairs or in a space reserved especially for
escalators).
• The handling capacity should be calculated so that
if an escalator or an elevator is out of service, other
equipment will be able to handle the peak traffic.
• Two elevators for each floor would be the best
solution, to ensure an accessible route for people in
wheelchairs.
• Handling capacity calculations need to cover both
directions of People Flow™.
Tables 7 and 8 present a few examples with a
maximum peak of totally 7200 persons per hour
entering and exiting the trains. Available methods of
transportation are the 0.5 m/s escalators, elevators
and stairs. Even though practical handling capacity
is much higher than the number of people during
the maximum peak, the amount of equipment is
suggested to be this high. For example, stairs have
a higher handling capacity, but their use will be low,
since people prefer escalators over stairs. In East
Asia, the normal design in metro stations is for stairs
down and escalators up but preferable is to have
escalators both going up and down.

Figure 9. Unrestricted area of two depths at escalator exit according to EN 115-1:2008

Table 7. Example of one-way traffic and the number of equipment needed (5 meter vertical rise).

Passenger flow using Number of Width / Practical transportation

the devices devices capacity (handling) capacity
Elevator groups should have free space of 3 meters,
(persons/h)
or 1.5 times the car depth, whichever is greater
or twice the car depth if elevators are opposite each Percentage % Persons/hour
other. Elevators should be located so that they are
Escalators, 0.5 m/s 80 % 5760 2 1000 mm 12000*
easily accessible for people in wheelchairs, and the
queue in front of them does not disturb passenger Stairs 15 % 1080 1 2000 mm 6000
flows. Devices can also be located so that they are
easy to monitor to prevent vandalism. Elevators 5% 360 1 17 persons 950

In total 7200 18950

The People Flow™ calculations should be done for
each floor so that people arriving on a metro to * According to EN 115-1:2008
a platform can be smoothly transported to exits.
This means that to avoid congestion problems, Table 8. Example of one-way traffic and the number of equipment needed (15 meter vertical rise).
all subsequent floors should have as much
transportation capacity as previous floors. Passenger flow using Number of Width / Practical transportation
the devices devices capacity (handling) capacity
(persons/h)

Percentage % Persons/hour

Escalators, 0.5 m/s 70 % 5040 3 1000 mm 18000

Stairs 0% 0 0 - -

Elevators 30 % 2160 3 21 persons 2300

In total 7200 20300

22 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 23

Since the vertical rise In Table 8 is 15 meters, people
will mainly use escalators and elevators rather than
stairways. Access to other levels should be ensured
even if one escalator is out of service. In some
countries, stopped escalators can be used as stairs.
However, due to the higher step, the number of
people using stopped escalators is always less than
those using regular stairs. Accessibility should be
considered even in maintenance situations.
Regarding a metro transfer station, the number
of people changing metro lines should also be
estimated. Planning calculations should use the
numbers of passengers or the emergency exiting
requirements – whichever is greater.
The train interval is the time period between arrivals
or departures and it indicates how often people are
arriving at the platform levels and leaving for other
floors. For a center platform – where one platform
serves trains on both sides – the number of people
on the platform during a train interval could be up
to double the number using a side platform, where
there is only one train coming to either side.
Planning of transportation devices in
Example transit stations is based on peak traffic
flows as shown in Table 9. For each
station and platform, the peak traffic flow has to
be estimated separately. The number of people
arriving at the level (from a train or other floors),
and the number of people leaving the floor have
to be estimated. The easiest way to estimate the
People Flow in stations is to find out how often
trains arrive at the station, and what percentage
of coach capacity enters and exits the train at the
station. In transfer stations the flows can be set
equal in both directions. In Table 9, trains arrive
at four-minute intervals at Station 1. At this station,
60 persons are estimated to exit and enter the
train; 10% of the 600 person train capacity. To
meet a two-way traffic demand of 120 persons
per four minutes (1800 persons per hour), two
elevators or two escalators are needed for the floor
height of eight meters (see Table 12 and Figure 16).
The same procedure has to be used for stations
2 and 3.
3.2 Building Doors
People enter a station through manual or automatic
swing doors or automatic sliding doors, except in Asian
countries where entrances do not usually have doors.
Automatic revolving doors are not recommended due
to lower capacity and risks especially during evacuation
or emergencies. On the entrance floor, the number of
doors and the width of the doorways need to match
the maximum number of people coming from other
levels to the exit floor, and the maximum amount of
people entering the station.
Preferably all the entrances would be accessible
for wheelchair users but if compromises are made,
elevators should be located in close proximity to those
entrances with the most traffic. The usage of entrances
can be estimated from the use of the surrounding area
and its buildings. Exits close to attractions and public
or high-rise buildings are naturally used most.
In view of evacuation or emergency situations it is
often required that all door mechanism at the entrance
of the stations are fail-safe. Redundant break-out
systems (batteries, bungee cords etc.) should also
be used in the door panels. Regulations from local
regulatory bodies and governmental agencies must
be applied in the design of the entrances and building
doors (fire departments, building counsels, Health and
Safety counsels etc.).
Number of doors needed
Two-way passageways (also in the entrance doors)
are recommended to have a convenient Level of
Service (LOS C) relating to a pedestrian flow of
30 - 50 persons/min per one meter width of door.
For calculating the number of doors needed per
entrance, estimate the maximum number of people
going through the doors during the peak time.
Then, select the intended LOS from Table 10.
The clear width of the doors should be at least
900 mm, and preferably at least 1200 mm [12] .
The capacity of building doors should be based on
the worst case; either on the maximum traffic from
the trains to the outside of the station (based on
the number of passengers in the trains arriving),
or based on the maximum flow from the buildings
surrounding the area around the station to the trains.
In addition, the handling capacity of all transfer
units needs to be balanced; (metro) trains, elevators,
escalators and the building doors and turnstiles
must always be aligned to prevent safety hazards
for people waiting and standing on platforms.
Particularly when platform screen doors are not used,
there may be a risk of overcrowding and people
falling on the railway tracks.

Table 9. Alternative solutions with escalators/elevators, for example stations with a vertical rise of 8 meters
Table 10. Number of 1 m wide doors needed for an entrance, according to different maximum pedestrian flows
(either escalators or elevators will handle the traffic)

Train Peak Flow/ Number of Escalator Number Elevator Maximum pedestrian Number of doors for different LOS grades
interval flow hour escalators transportation of handling flow to doorways (width 1 m)
(include both capacity elevators capacity
directions)
Persons/ B - Restricted Circulation C - Personal Comfort D - No
Min Personal/ Persons/ 1000 mm/ Persons/ (PU17/10) Persons/ min Zone Zone Touch Zone
interval hour 0.5 m/s) up+down/hour hour
50 1 1 1
Station 1 4 120 1800 2 12000 2 2150
100 2 2 1
Station 2 4 300 4500 2 12000 5 5400
150 4 2 2
Station 3 4 240 3600 2 12000 4 4300
200 5 3 2

300 7 3 2

400 10 4 3

24 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 25
 To avoid congestion problems during maintenance, an extra door
can be added, or doors could be made wider.

Table 11. Pedestrian level of service (LOS) on doorways [3]

LOS Flow through For handling 60 persons / min

a 1 m wide doorway (3600 persons/hour)
(persons / min) only one way flow

A Free Circulation Zone 0 - 23 > 2.5 m doorway

B Restricted Circulation Zone 23 - 33 1.8 - 2.5 m doorway

C Personal Comfort Zone 33 - 49 1.2 - 1.8 m doorway

D No Touch Zone 49 - 66 0.9 - 1.2 m doorway

Figure 10. Example of platform screen doors
E Touch Zone 66 - 82 0.7 - 0.9 m doorway

F The Body Ellipse variable -

3.3 Platform screen doors

Platform screen doors (or automatic platform gates)
Planning the number of doors:
are automatic sliding doors or gates at the edge
of railway platforms for metro, light rail or other
Required number of doors (N) is train systems, to prevent passengers falling off the
N = F/(fW), where: platform edge onto the railway tracks (see Figure
10). The platform doors or gates slide open or close
• F is passenger flow [persons/min]
simultaneously with the train doors.
• f is nominal flow through door [persons/min/m]
• W is width of door [m] The height of the platform screen doors can vary
between low-, middle- and full-height. Also, screen
doors can be integrated in a full-height dividing wall,
which creates a separate compartment between
tunnel/track and platform. The dividing walls are
usually steel structures with glass panels.
1. Estimate maximum People Flow through doors in persons per hour, or persons per interval Platform screen doors improve the People Flow™ by
(special provision can be made in case special events are expected) guiding the people to the correct location on the
e.g. 300 persons /5 min = 60 persons/min platform to enter trains, which also creates a more
2. Select LOS and the flow per unit width, from the Table 11 fluent flow of people on the platform. The effect of
C: convenient, so: 33-49 persons/min from 1 m wide doorway platform screen doors can be further enhanced by
applying signs or direction indicators on the floor near
3. Select door width, for example 1.5 m. them to indicate where the people should wait/stand,
4. Calculate pedestrian flow per interval or per hour by multiplying the flow per unit width in order to improve the exit/entry flow between train
(from step 2) by the door width and platform.
50-74 persons/min from 1.5 m wide door
Compared to full-height platform screen doors, half-
5. Determine the number of doors by dividing the estimated People Flow by pedestrian flow per interval
height platform gates are cheaper to install as they
(interval should be the same in both estimated and calculated pedestrian flow)
require a smaller metallic framework for support.
1 door of 1.5 m width would be enough for 60 persons/min.
Some railway operators prefer such an option to
6. Consider reverse flow: There are some people coming from the opposite direction. improve safety at railway platforms and, at the
2 doors would guarantee smoother flow at a convenient Level of Service. same time, keep costs low and non-air-conditioned
platforms naturally ventilated. However, platform
gates are less effective compared to platform screen
doors in preventing people from jumping or throwing
objects onto the tracks.
26
26 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
Platform screen doors and gates significantly increase
the efficiency and capacity of metro train systems as
a whole. Also, platform screen doors enable the design
or layout of the platforms to be reduced, because the
area is more efficiently used. For a metro, the smaller
footprint for the station platform may save costs when
building new lines. Likewise, the capacity of existing
rail/metro systems can be increased by retrofitting
platform screen doors.
The main advantages of platform screen doors
are:
• Safety (reduce accidents, people falling on tracks/
suicides – only for full-height doors).
• More reliable service and schedule of the metro
system (less disturbance).
• Security (restrict access to tracks and tunnels).
• Prevent litter on the track (reduce maintenance/
cleaning costs, risks for fire etc. – only for full-height
doors).
• Increased comfort for travelers (dust, noise, wind,
better information where to enter the train).
• Enable Automatic Passenger Movers
(APMs, i.e. trains without operators).
• Better People Flow (shorter exit and entry time,
train can spend less time at station).
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 27
 3.4 Turnstiles & ticketing
After entering a station, people come from the
unpaid area to the boundary of the paid area,
or ticketing area. There can be a security check,
ticketing point, and turnstiles in this area. The order
of these should be clear and the layout should guide
people to the correct route. People Flow™ through
the intermediate floors between the entrance floor
and the platform (also called mezzanine floor,
concourse level, ticketing level etc.) should not have
any bottlenecks.
Turnstiles make people enter one by one to their
next locations. The interval between people coming
through these points is dependent on the turnstile
type and whether a ticket is shown or inserted into
the system. A manual gate for disabled people and
prams is also needed.
Table 12. Pedestrian volume of turnstiles [3]
Type of entrance
Free admission (barrier only)
Ticket collection by staff
Single-slot coin- or token-operated
Double-slot coin-operated
Card reader (various types)
High entrance/exit turstile
High exit turstile
Exit gate, 3.0 ft (0.9 m) wide
Exit gate, 4.0 ft (1.2 m) wide
Exit gate, 5.0 ft (1.5 m) wide
28 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
3.5 Stairways
Number of turnstiles Simple layouts are the best. Stairways should be spread
The effect of fare gates on pedestrian flow will out to the areas where people arrive at the station.
depend on the headway between pedestrians. Stairs are good for small level differences, but the
When a pedestrian reaches a fare gate, there must longer the stairs, the less they are used as people prefer
be sufficient time separation to allow that pedestrian escalators and elevators. For a very high vertical rise,
to pass through the fare gate before the next stairs are used very little.
pedestrian arrives [3] . The capacity of turnstiles is
shown in Table 12. If there is a lot of traffic in the opposite direction,
stairs easily become crowded and cause congestion
problems. To improve this, floor markings (i.e. a line
separating walking lanes, and direction arrows) can
be added to provide guidance on moving directions
– right-hand/left-hand traffic according to the local
traffic flow.
Transportation capacity in stairways
24 in (60.0 cm)
33 in (83.8 cm)
When walking on stairs, people need space of 3 steps
in the longitudinal direction before the person in front
of them, as shown in Figure 11. When walking down
the stairs, people tend to leave more space in front of
them. [6]
Figure 11. People need 3 steps of space
when walking on stairs
Observed average Equivalent pedestrian
headway (s) volume (persons/min)
1.0 - 1.5 40 - 60
1.7 - 2.4 25 - 35 Stairs can be planned for short vertical rises, and Transportation capacity of stairways can be calculated
as emergency exits. Staircases can be planned assuming 0.72-1.0 persons per second per width of
1.2 - 2.4 25 - 50
instead of escalators, parallel to escalators, and one meter. [15,18] If there is counter flow in stairs, the
2.5 - 4.0 15 - 25 as an alternative means of transportation if the combined width should be increased at least by 0.75 m.
escalators should fail. If escalators are placed
1.5 - 4.0 25 - 40 next to stairways, an inclination of 27.3 degrees The minimum combined staircase width (W) is:
is recommended. Local legislation determines
3.0 20 W = F / f, where
guidelines for adequate stairway dimensions. It is
recommended that stairways with combined width F is passenger flow [persons/min]
2.1 28
more than 2.2 m should be divided into several f is nominal flow in stairs 30-60 persons/min/m
0.8 75 lanes so that each lane is preferably 1.2 - 1.8 m
wide. [13]
0.6 100
Planning the stairs
0.5 125 1. Estimate the peak traffic People Flow using the stairs
e.g. 60 persons/min
2. Select the nominal flow f
(e.g. 0.72 persons/s/m = 43.2 persons/min/m)
3. Solve minimum combined stairway width W
(60/43.2 = 1.39 m).
4. Divide the combined width into one or several
preferably 1.2 - 1.8 m wide channels.
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 29

Transportation capacity of a stairway
Persons/hour
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0 0
0.6 1.0 1.4
Width (m)
Figure 12. Example of a selection chart for choosing the
width of a stairway in a metro station
3.6 Escalators
Moving direction
When escalators are located side by side, their
moving direction should be according to the local
traffic flow, if the layout does not suggest otherwise
(e.g. left-hand side traffic in U.K., India etc.). This
prevents people crossing each other at both ends of
the escalator, since in wide passageways people tend
to walk on the side of the traffic flow.
If the direction of the majority of the People Flow
changes heavily according to the time of day
(e.g. people going to the offices in the morning
and returning home in the evening), the moving
direction of escalators can be changed accordingly.
In case of several parallel escalators, this is easily
executed by changing the direction of the escalators
in the middle as presented in Figure 13.
30 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations
If escalators do not stop entirely, but move slowly To make it easier to enter an escalator, and to increase
in energy saving mode, it is easier for people to the loading percentage and improve passenger safety,
perceive the direction of the escalator. The correctly changes can be made:
moving direction can also be indicated by traffic
Persons/5 min
lights in front of the escalator. 1. Railing arrangements beside the escalator guide
833 people to form a queue already a bit before
In quieter stations escalators stop when nobody entering, so that the crowd is not squeezed
750
is using them. When a person approaches it from against moving handrails. It also prevents
0.7 persons/s/m either end, it will start moving so that the person accidents from crowds leaning on the moving
667
0.8 persons/s/m
can use it. handrail from the sides (Figure 14).
583 2. Three poles in front of an escalator will guide
0.9 persons/s/m Crowded escalators people to form two lines before entering it. They
500 In busy stations people can form tight crowds in also prevent people with large luggage from using
1.0 persons/s/m
front of escalators. With many people trying to the escalators (Figure 14).
417 enter an escalator from different directions at the
3. Adding a separator line in the middle of the
same time, the actual loading percentage of an
333 escalator can guide people to stand on the sides
escalator might stay rather low.
rather than in the middle (Figure 14).
250 4. More space before and after an escalator gives
room for the queue to form, and for people to exit.
167
5. Designing walking paths so that people do not
83 have to walk through queues.
1.8 2.2
Figure 14. Railing arrangements beside an escalator, three
poles in front and a separator line in the middle of
the escalator make it easier to enter the escalator
and increase escalator load and safety.
Down rush hour
Using slower escalators
™
Slower escalators with a speed of 0.5 m/s should be preferred
especially in:
• Places where there are many new escalator users.
• Stations where people arrive after having traveled for a
long time (e.g. bus/train stations). People may have heavy
luggage with them, or may just be tired. Accidents have
been reported from these kinds of stations with faster
escalators.
• Market places where people might be carrying heavy bags.
Up rush hour
Figure 13. Changing the escalator direction
according to the major People Flow™
(in a country with right-hand side traffic)
© KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 31
 Escalator transportation capacity
The maximum capacity of escalators according Transportation capacity of an escalator
to EN115-1 is shown in Table 13.
Persons/hour Persons/5 min
10000 833 0.75 m/s

Table 13. Maximum capacity of escalators or horizontal/inclined autowalks* according to EN 115-1:2008 [14] 9000 750 0.65 m/s

8000 666 0.5 m/s

Step/pallet width mm Nominal speed m/s
7000 583
0.50 0.65 0.75
6000 500

600 3600 persons/h 4400 persons / h 4900 persons / h 5000 417

800 4800 persons / h 5900 persons / h 6600 persons / h 4000 333

1000* 6000 persons / h 7300 persons / h 8200 persons / h 3000 250

2000 167
NOTE 1 Use of baggage carts will reduce the capacity by approximately 80%.
NOTE 2 For horizontal/inclined autowalks with a pallet width in excess of 1.00 m the capacity is 1000 83
not increased as users need to hold the handrail; the additional width is mainly to enable the
use of shopping trolleys and baggage carts. 0 0
600 800 1000

Width (mm)

Figure 15. Effect of escalator width and speed on transportation capacity

In Table 13, about 0.7-0.8, 1.0-1.1 and 1.2-1.3 persons

per step are assumed for the 600 mm, 8000 mm and
1000 mm wide escalators respectively. Density of Planning the number of escalators
passengers on an escalator depends very much on the 1. Estimate the People Flow in both up and down
culture. In a KONE study during rush hours at the Delhi directions in a peak traffic situation. Note that if
metro station, escalators were observed to be 60% there are parallel stairs, divide the traffic between
loaded at the maximum, that is 1.2 persons per step the stairs and escalators.
in a 1000 mm wide escalator, which corresponds to a 2. Select the speed and width that match the
person on every step and 2 persons on every 5th step. purpose (usually 0.5 or 0.65 m/s and 1000 mm
wide). Transportation capacities are shown in
In crowded situations, the following issues have an Table 13.
effect on the escalator transportation capacity:
3. Divide the peak flow by the transportation
• Social distance affects how close to each other capacity of one escalator to find out how many
people stand. When people are standing more escalators are needed. (Round up to the nearest
closely to each other, load can be larger.
integer).
• New users and large amounts of luggage will
4. Increase the number of escalators by one for
decrease the load.
counter-flow.
5. Increase the number of escalators by one for
breakdowns (to enable the stairway or people
walking on the stopped escalator to be able to
compensate for the loss).
Effect of people walking
Even though the transportation capacity of escalators
could be theoretically greater when people are walking
on the other side, in practice it does not significantly
increase escalator capacity. [3]
In some countries, people are allowed to walk on a
stopped escalator, and it is not restricted with barriers.
The capacity of a stopped escalator is somewhat
smaller than the capacity of a stairway, because the
steps are higher and deeper than on stairways.
Recommendations
The usual step width of escalators in transit stations is
1000 mm. The usual speeds are 0.5 m/s or 0.65 m/s.
When the vertical distance is more than a few meters,
up- and down-traveling escalators are needed instead
of stairs. Often a third escalator is reserved to ensure
fluent travel while maintenance is performed.

To prevent and minimize flash flood water damage,

escalator entries, doorways, and stair tops should be
raised above the street ground level.

In matters concerning escalator duty class and

escalator features, see the Planning Guide for KONE
Escalators and Autowalks.

32 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 33
 3.7 Horizontal and inclined
autowalks
About autowalks
Moving horizontal autowalks have high transportation
capacity and are convenient for passengers with
luggage or trolleys. Horizontal autowalks have an
inclination of 0-6o and pallet widths of 1000, 1200
and 1400 mm. Inclined autowalks (ramps) are used to
connect two floors. They have an inclination of 10-12o
and pallet widths of 800 or 1000 mm. The vertical rise
of an inclined autowalk (moving horizontal autowalk) is
limited to 10 m.
Number of autowalks
The transportation capacity of inclined autowalks is
the same as for escalators, see Table 13 and Figure 15.
The transportation capacity of 1000 mm escalators can
be used for 1200 and 1400 mm horizontal autowalks.
The reason why widths exceeding 1000 mm do not
increase handling capacity is that everyone must be
able to reach the handrails. In practice 1400 mm wide
horizontal horizontal autowalks are recommended
when passengers have trolleys.
Planning the number of horizontal or inclined
autowalks
1. Estimate the People Flow in peak traffic situation.
Count each trolley as 4-8 persons.
2. Choose from Figure 15 the width and speed of
the autowalk that match the objective.
3. Divide the peak flow by the transportation
capacity of one horizontal autowalk to find out
the number of autowalks needed (round up to the
nearest integer).
4. Increase the number of autowalks by one for
counter-flow (sometimes a one-way horizontal
moving horizontal autowalk is enough).
5. For inclined autowalks: Increase the number of
inclined autowalks by one for breakdowns (unless
the stairway or people walking on a stopped
horizontal autowalk are able to compensate for
the loss).
3.8 Elevators
Accessibility standards
Elevators are usually needed in stations only for people
who are unable to use escalators or stairways. Typically
these are people with baggage and trolleys, elderly and
disabled people and children. Elevators should meet the
accessibility standards [16] , including but
not limited to:
• Cars big enough for moving aids (wheelchairs,
walkers, bicycles and prams, if these are used in the
location). There could also be space for a couple of
moving aids to enter the elevator at the same time.
(EN 81-70 gives three accessibility levels; Type 1 with
1000 x 1250 mm, Type 2 with 1100 x 1400 mm,
and Type 3 with 2000 x 1400 mm, which allows a
wheelchair to be rotated in the car [16]).
• Clear width of elevator doorway of at least 800 mm
(Type 1), 900 mm (Type 2), or 1100 mm (Type 3) [16].
• Have buttons located properly inside the car
(between 900 – 1200 mm [16] ), and arrange them
logically (on a single vertical/horizontal row), with
tactile and auditory operating feedback.
• Accurate stopping (+/- 10 mm) and leveling
(+/- 20 mm) [16] .

Location of the elevators New users

Sometimes elevator use becomes massive, although
they are meant to be used by only those who can not
take the stairs or escalator. In countries with short social
distances, people are used to being in a crowd and will
pack the elevators full, causing overloading problems.
One solution is to employ an elevator monitor to let
only the allowed number of people inside the elevator
car. Otherwise, elevators could be located away from
the main routes (e.g. behind a corner).
The use of elevators can also be decreased by making
the escalators or stairs a more attractive option so that
taking them would be faster than taking the elevator.
This can be done by locating escalators optimally, and
having enough escalators to handle the traffic.
There should be clear guidance to the elevators from
the main routes. Elevators should also be located so
that there is convenient access to the surrounding
buildings, attractions or bus stops. Inside the station,
the elevators should be located so that they are visible
to station staff, to ensure their surveillance [11] .
In developing countries there are people who have
never used elevators. For them, it is important to have
signalization as intuitive as possible, which means
buttons in vertical rows, with descriptive symbols.
The doors should open up automatically if no buttons
are pressed, or in cases where elevators travel only
between two floors the elevator could identify
when there are passengers inside the elevator and
automatically take them to the other floor, without
them having to push the car call buttons.
Car parks
Metro stations are sometimes attached to a car park.
When designing the elevators serving the parking
areas, the number of parking places needs to be
known. Once the parking capacity is known, the
number of people that will be served by the elevators
can be estimated. Typically 1.2 persons per car are
assumed, but the values depend on the culture.

34 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 35
 Handling capacity and level of service Planning the elevators
If the station is more than 20-30 meters below ground, 1. Estimate the peak traffic flow and portion of the flow using
transit time with escalators becomes too long. With elevators. Note that elevators are usually planned for 5-20%
elevators the transit time is much shorter and they can of total flow in stations. See chapter 2.2 Passenger characteristics/
be used as the main transportation device. The number and subchapter Disabilities).
of elevators according to vertical rise can be selected
2. Select suitable car size. See handling capacity from Figure 16.
according to Figure 16.
3. Select the number of elevators by dividing the peak traffic
flow by the handling capacity of one car.
(Round up to nearest integer).
4. Increase the number of elevators by one for breakdowns.
Handling capacity of an elevator
5. If the number of elevators is high, increase the car size.
(Travel time < 25 s)
Persons/hour Persons/5 min
If elevators have more than two stops, traffic analysis tools should be
1440 120 used (see Chapter 4.5).
17
1296 108

1152 96 21

1008 84 24
Recommendations
864 72 Elevators with a capacity of at least 13 persons are able to carry
26
720 60
objects such as a baby carriage, bicycle or stretcher. For this
reason, 1600 kg is the minimum recommended capacity.
576 48
For speed selection use the formula:
432 36

288 24
144 12 vexellent = Travelheight/20
0 0
4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
vgood = Travelheight/25
Travel lenght (mm)

Figure 16. Elevator two-way traffic handling capacity of 17-26 person car vsatisfactory = Travelheight/32
sizes as a function of travel length

According to this formula, for instance for travel

of 32 meters, a speed of 1 m/s is satisfactory,
In transit facilities, elevators often travel between two stops. 1.6 m/s is good, and 2 m/s is excellent.
For a shuttle elevator the handling capacity in persons per
hour can be roughly estimated from the formula below:

HC= 6000*C
50 + 3.6*C

where C = Elevator capacity in persons (usually 17 - 26 persons)

36 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 37
 3.9 Planning tools

Quick analysis tools

For planning elevators and escalators, traffic analysis
tools can be used. On the kone.com websites the
following tools are available: Planning Guide for
KONE Escalators and Autowalks, Escalator Designer;
MonoSpace toolbox for machine-room-less elevator
dimensions; Quick Traffic to analyze the number, size
and speeds of cars for bigger elevator groups; and
Planulator to give the dimensions of elevators and
shafts. Links to these tools can be found on
KONE’s website. A simple transit station planning
tool will be provided later to support this planning
guide to calculate the required number of elevators
and escalators. It will also give recommendations for
numbers of building doors, turnstiles and autowalks.
Using this tool, the required width of inclined
autowalks and stairways can also be calculated,
along with the handling capacity of the automatic
building doors.
Traffic simulation
The most accurate way to estimate the required
numbers and sizes of transportation facilities is
to simulate the People Flow in the station. Some
consultants are specialized in providing a simulation
service for metro stations. With the KONE Building
Traffic Simulator (KONE BTS™), People Flow
moving horizontally and vertically can be modeled.
Simulation can be visualized by 3-dimensional
displays, and People Flow bottlenecks can be
illustrated.
KONE BTS has also been used in evacuation studies of
metro stations and stadiums. In stadiums, evacuation
does not refer to an emergency situation but to the
end of the event when all people leave the stadium.
With simulation the time that a building or a station
can be emptied with the defined number and size
of escalators, elevators and staircases is studied. In
addition to the egress time, also passenger journey
times and waiting time are discovered, as well as the
maximum passenger queue lengths and congestion
at different locations during the egress.
Figure 17 presents displays of metro station simulation
studies with KONE BTS™ and Figure 18 with the Steps
program [18] . In Figure 18, different Levels of Service Figure 18. Screen shots of Steps [18] simulator
(LOS) are shown in colors. Figure 19 shows a sample
output result of an evacuation simulation study with
KONE BTS™. A thorough understanding of passenger
traffic in a building and interaction between different
transports can be found out only by using simulation
tools such as KONE BTS™.
Egress time when using inclined
autowalks or elevators and escaltors
Egress time
(min)
160 Planned
140
VIP
120
100 Two inclined autowalks

80

60

40

20

0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% of population using inclined autowalks

Figure 19. Simulated egress times with alternative transport facilities.

Figure 17. Screen shots of KONE Building Traffic Simulator

38 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 39
 4 References
[1] KONE Ecosystem MR Europe/China/Asian-Pacific/North-American Planning Guide
[2] Planning Guide for KONE Escalators & Autowalks
[3] National Research Council 2003. Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual. Transit Cooperative
Research program - TCRP report 100. 2nd edition
[4] http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2007/05/quickstep-world-is-walking-faster.html
[5] Wikipedia. Right- and left-hand traffic. Cited in 19.8.2009, Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_
left-hand_traffic.
[6] Templer, John 1995. The Staircase, MIT Press 216 p. pp. 61 – 69
[7] WHO 2004. The global burden of disease: 2004 update, Part 3. Disease incidence, prevalence and disability 16
p. pp. 32 - 34, available at: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GBD_report_2004update_
part3.pdfhttp://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GBD_report_2004update_part3.pdf
[8] [APTA (American Public Transportation Association) 2007. A Profile of Public Transportation Passenger
Demographics and Travel Characteristics Reported in On-Board Surveys, May 2007
available at: http://apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/transit_passenger_characteristics_text_5_29_2007.pdf
http://www.apta.com/government_affairs/policy/documents/transit_passenger_characteristics_07.pdf
[9] Dieberger, Dourish, Höök, Resnick, Wexelblat 2000. Social Navigation. Techniques for Building More Usable Systems.
Interactions, November + December 2000. pp. 36 - 45.
[10] Barney, G.C., Elevator Traffic Handbook: Theory and Practice, Spon Press,, London, 2003
[11] Griffin, Kenneth W. Building type basics for transit facilities. From the Building type basics series, Stephen A. Kliment,
Series founder and editor.
[12] U.K. Department for Transport. Inclusive mobility, Available at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/peti/
inclusivemobility
[13] Departure of Culture, Media and Sports: Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, UK,
2008.
[14] EN 115-1:2008-1: 2008. Safety of escalators and moving walks. Construction and installation.
[15] CIBSE Guide D: 2005. Transportation systems in buildings, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
London.
[16] EN81-70: 2003. Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. Particular applications for passengers and
good passengers lifts - Part 70: Accessibility to lifts for persons including persons with disability
[17] Fruin, John J., Pedestrian Planning and Design, Revised Edition, Elevator World, Inc., Mobile, AL (1987)
[18] http://www.mottmac.com/skillsandservices/software/stepssoftware/

40 © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations © KONE Planning Guide for People Flow™ for transit stations 41
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