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Making Trains Run on Time (economist.com)
Plamen Angelov of the University of Lancaster, in Britain, has an idea that he hopes will make train delays rarer. From a report: Often, Dr Angelov observes, the problem is not the inefficiency of operators but the behaviour of passengers -- the "platform-train interface", to use railway parlance. When trains arrive, passengers crowd around the doors waiting to board, restricting the flow of those getting off. When they are about to depart, people often hold doors open, delaying that departure. (A recent study by Japan's Railway Bureau found that passengers attempting to board trains after their scheduled departure times accounted for almost 50% of delays.) Passengers also frequently stand too close to the carriages for safety. Waiting for malefactors to move back behind the yellow safety line on a platform might hold a train up for less than a minute. But over the course of a journey those minutes add up. Even a slight delay is compounded if it causes a train to slip out of its running order and be held at a subsequent station, or be required to follow a slower service.
Dr Angelov thinks that applying artificial intelligence to the problem might help. And that is what he and his team are doing. Using images from the cctv cameras already mounted in carriages and on platforms, their system employs algorithms that have been trained to detect objects such as people, luggage, pushchairs and bicycles. It then measures the movements and positions of these objects relative to areas such as the train doors or the yellow safety line and uses this information to predict problems. The cameras in the carriages detect how busy particular doors are getting as passengers leave their seats and gather next to the exits when the train approaches a station. At the same time, the station cameras monitor the numbers waiting for the train to arrive, whereabouts they are standing along the platform, and how encumbered they are. The two sets of data can then be compared, providing warning of likely areas of congestion. This permits passengers -- particularly those on the platform -- to be directed to doors that will be less busy.
Dr Angelov thinks that applying artificial intelligence to the problem might help. And that is what he and his team are doing. Using images from the cctv cameras already mounted in carriages and on platforms, their system employs algorithms that have been trained to detect objects such as people, luggage, pushchairs and bicycles. It then measures the movements and positions of these objects relative to areas such as the train doors or the yellow safety line and uses this information to predict problems. The cameras in the carriages detect how busy particular doors are getting as passengers leave their seats and gather next to the exits when the train approaches a station. At the same time, the station cameras monitor the numbers waiting for the train to arrive, whereabouts they are standing along the platform, and how encumbered they are. The two sets of data can then be compared, providing warning of likely areas of congestion. This permits passengers -- particularly those on the platform -- to be directed to doors that will be less busy.
A researcher *in the UK* is trying to make trains run on time *in Japan*? You just broke my irony-meter.
The solution to any problem is a buzzword that you know a little bit about and others are afraid they don't.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
so that the internally crowded doors open on the sparsely populated part of the platform. Then you don't have to direct the platform passengers so much.
This permits passengers -- particularly those on the platform -- to be directed to doors that will be less busy.
These are people who can't stand aside while people exit, even when it's in their own selfish interest to do so. What in the hell makes you think they can be assed to move to a whole different area of the platform?
Or they could just pay some humans to open and close some gated channels to allow everyone to leave first and then to allow people to enter only until departure time. I think Japan was already doing some version of this in the past, with attendants that stuffed people into the train, and presumably cleared a path to let them out. Either way, you need the humans, because nearly everyone acts badly in their absence.
Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
From what I've seen on the trains in Japan, damn near everyone waits patiently behind the yellow line, in 2 lines per door and the people exiting the train are generally not obstructed at all. Then, the waiting passengers board calmly.
I'm thinking these researchers may have never lived in Japan, or only compared the busiest times when there's hardly standing room on the platforms.
Now perhaps if one door was exit only and one was enter only on each car, it would work, but only if loading/unloading an entire car at a time.
"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
Make the boarding passengers stand behind gates which only open after the arriving passengers have left the train.
People suck, and that's why we can't have nice things.
The solution has existed for 32 years. Automate the trains.
It works perfectly in Vancouver, not a single accident due to the computer. No, everything is certainly a suicide/accident when someone falls into the track as the train comes into the station. Computers have better reaction time than humans, which is why the track sensors work best when people aren't creating a crowding situation.
What can put an end to all delays, even in the automated system is PED's, or Platform Edge Doors. However most rail systems are a mish-mash of different rail cars of different door positions, so for Vancouver, this doesn't work because the 6-car mk 1 train, 2x2 car Mark 2/2.5 and 4-car Mk 3 train's all have different door spacing. Platform Edge doors would have to be over engineered to work like venetian blinds. eg, by being pulled down when the train is about to open the doors.
Computer AI here simply is a technical solution to a problem that has already been solved. The Skytrain runs "on time" because it has no schedule, there's a train every 75 seconds at absolute perfect conditions, and every 6 minutes during slow off-peak times. How this can be applied in other places requires a signalling upgrade, removing the driver from the calculation, and then running the trains by forcing the doors to close a-la elevators, where they stay open for a minimum dwell time, and then attempt to close a second time, where the alarm will sound. If they hit an obstruction they re-open completely only once. Any attempt to hold the door open will alert station attendants or transit police that someone is holding up the train and they can be ticketed if they hold the doors while the alarm sounds. Issue enough tickets and people will quit being stupid.
The safety problem can only be solved by not cutting costs in the first place. Build PED's from the begining, build platforms big enough for an entire train to load and unload (use the Spanish solution if that's what's efficient, open the exit doors first, and then the entrance doors, setup turnstiles to only allow entry or exit.
I'd like to see the number of technical problems that boil down to 'vodka spilled on *' broken out separately.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
How about actual intelligence? I'm not smart enough to go to university, but even I can see that taking human behavior into account while compiling the timetables would go a long way to solving their problems.
Total bastard, but hey, at least he got the trains to run on time...
"platform-train interface" sounds like the train version of this ðY
Since all the AI can do is possibly activate indicator lamps or play messages to people to ask them to do things, then it isn't going to help. Considering that the problem is obvious at the outset, it doesn't take an AI to make it any more obvious.
This is equivalent to just making one door 'in' and the other door 'out' in a variable rather than fixed manner. It can't solve the primary clearly known issues that were indicated: people standing too close to the yellow lines, holding doors, crowding doors, etc.
You don't need cameras and AI if you can force people to evenly distribute themselves, stop crowding doorways, stop trying to enter through closing doors, and stand away from the edge of the platform. Even better, have a lit sign that directs the flow of people inside the carriage to one of the doors when the train is more than half full, and make sure the carriages line up properly on the platforms that also has lights so people know which is the 'entry' and which is the 'exit' door.
It also helps when there are signs/announcements around the place that reminds people to 'stand away from the doors until passengers have finished exiting', 'stand to the left(or right) on the escalator if you're not walking', 'stand up and move towards to the carriage doors before the train arrives at the platform', 'stand back from the yellow line - or the train will be delayed', etc.
One time we're sitting on the train waiting at the platform and the PA comes alive with: "please stand back from the doors". Followed about 20 seconds later with: "would the guy in the blue shirt and baseball cap in the third carriage stop holding the door as you are delaying the train from leaving the platform". Another 20 seconds: "to the guy holding the door, the security staff are on their way down to remove you and the friend you're waiting for from the train".
I remember the doors on the peoplemover at Atlanta Airport in the early 80s. From what I recall, they wouldn't crush you or allow the train to depart unless the doors were completely closed... but they weren't particularly GENTLE about closing, or proactive about re-opening if you DID get caught in them. The synthesized voice would sternly shout, "Stop boarding!" three times and slam the doors shut. If you got caught in them, a flashing light would go off, you'd be loudly scolded by the same robotic voice in front of the entire train (and possibly an employee) while you were still stuck in the door, THEN the doors would momentarily slide open again (leaving you with a bruise to motivate you to move more quickly next time). I'm sure they've toned down the aggressiveness quite a bit since then, but it definitely worked... you could see the literal FEAR in people's eyes if they were anywhere NEAR the doors when the "Stop boarding!" began.
If the schedule says the bus will arrive at 9:05, then 9:05 is when the bus arrives.
First idea- Pick a destination station before you board (some systems already make you do this), or have a default set of station pairs, and let the system tell you which train/door to go to, with the system optimizing to reduce conflicts. Offer some reward for cooperation , i.e. "Good Commuter points" or some small discount. Downside: requires tracking.
Second idea- Skip the directions, just have the reward- if the train leaves on time, everyone getting on or off gets a star. Let the commuters figure out how to do it. Downside: requires tracking (but not as much), and might increase confrontations with non-cooperative riders.
Other factors- I sometimes see people standing in the doorway, not getting on/off, just blocking access to those who are. These people need to be "incentivized" to move elsewhere.
Possibly just having a sign indicating get off/on times, i.e. first 10 seconds after doors open are only for getting off (or until everyone is off), then let people on, would solve the entire problem.
My understanding, from friends that have been to Japan, and watching japanophile shows like Japanology+, was that the trains in Japan were almost disgustingly punctual. Is that not the case?
My friends may have been amazed due to comparison to U.S rail systems.
Those pesky passengers having heart attacks and other medical problems on train, causing trains to be halted and lines to be blocked. When will they learn!?
Use both sides of the train.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
How about an external light system by which a car is marked as red, yellow or green based on occupancy ?
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
That isn't how people work.
They want to be by the door closest to where there are more free seats - which is more likely to be the one where there are most people alighting.
What can put an end to all delays, even in the automated system is PED's, or Platform Edge Doors.
PEDs are just something else to go wrong and does nothing about the problem of people getting on blocking people getting off. Have you never been on a train delayed by a sliding door sticking or someone putting their foot in the way to make it wait for their friend? However many occasions that was, multiply it by two.
They purpose of PEDs is to stop people falling onto the track, and although that very occasionally (in the UK) does happen, the delays from that cause are a tiny blip in the lateness statistics.
You havenâ(TM)t been on a busy train in one of these countries, have you?
Obviously he has not, the idea is laughable. Probably an American who has never been on a train - seems to think that trains usually have one set of doors and that having two sets would be a bright new idea. In fact on some metro trains like the London Underground, about half the side of the car opens up at each station.
Just vast numbers of people pushing as hard as they can, and then the trains take off, always on time, with some people hanging out the door. It is a real sport.
Killed 6,989 passengers apparently.
https://indianexpress.com/arti...
Ah, but you're conveniently forgetting that even though utopianism has never worked, it could if we just threw enough technology at the problem.
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Lived in Japan. Odakyu line at Shinjuku busiest station exits one side , enter opposite. Practical for peak capacity times and more timely departures larger implications. Low traffic times during the day allow for more time unloading and loading. Other lines try to alternate right and left every few stations. Many non hub stations only have space for one platform. When they back up the stations are slow to react but they do try to warn passengers to go another route with online notices , displays at stations etc... As Olympics approaches more stations installing platform guard doors that offer a buffer before the train doors. Helps prevent crowds from overflowing on to tracks but also late boarders trying to zip in and getting stuck holding up trains. These are very costly additions but over time save time and money increasing safety. Light traffic stations do not warrant the cost benefit but heavy stations do.
This is a design problem and the result of inferior design.
The best (and most expensive) way to solve this problem is to design the stations so that passengers enter on one side of the train and leave on the other. This is the way rides are designed at amusement parks to facilitate the movement of crowds.
Barring that, a system which direct passengers to debark at certain doors (such as at the front) and enter at other doors (At the back) will also work. This has been used on buses, where passengers exit at the back and enter at the front (where they pay.)
The use of AI in this case may indeed result in fewer accidents resulting from moving trains hitting passengers in exclusion zones, but it will do nothing for keeping trains on time.
I was talking with a friend the other night, and he opined that compromise should die, that technology can solve so many of the world's problems and we need to sweep people out of the way to get it done. Basically he wants technology to control and run things, to run people; in this instance there's just no way to get people to always go to another door. We might be able to measure it, but can we (do we want to?) MAKE people be optimized? DOesn't that kind of just make them machines?
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... Shinkansen trains you what system just works. If only all trains be boarded like that delays would only be a technicality.
Bach says it all.
Dang. We've used stuff like solar, wind, hydro.... and now.... Time!
Outside the Northeast Corridor, the vast amount of passenger delays for Amtrak are related to having to use freight train routes where preference is given to their own trains over the passenger service. Stations on the corridor could benefit from boarding on one end of the car and exiting the other, or having red lights over the doors while people are exiting and switching to green when you can start boarding, or even just painting the platform with green and red paths to show where to line up to enter and where to leave clear for those exiting. As mentioned above, you could also use gates that open like on rides, but this might be hard with ADA concerns. None of this is rocket science but does require some upfront thought and investment.