A Simple Solution to Subway Platform Congestion in Santiago, Chile

January 8, 2014

Subway platform gridlock caused by crowds of riders attempting to exit in different directions not only creates unhappy passengers but slows up arriving and departing trains. Juan Carlos Muñoz, a transportation professor in Chile and former ITS Ph.D. student, has found a simple solution.

As he explains, passengers arriving on the 4 line of the Tobalaba station in Santiago exit the train and then head in different directions to leave the station or transfer. This disordered exit creates gridlock on the platform, which increases the time needed to evacuate the platform and reduces maximum train frequency.

Watch the video to see the simple, cost-effective solution, which also allows more trains to travel faster, speeding passengers more quickly to their destinations.