Evaluating the impact of transfer passage on emergency evacuation safety in transit hub

Subway networks serve as the arterial transit for millions of urban commuters every day in large metropolitan areas. The evacuation efficiency of passengers in subway stations during emergencies is directly linked to the safety of travelers. This study investigates the evacuation safety problem in a subway transfer station, which are particularly difficult to analyze due to their complex structural layouts. To this end, a simulation framework is developed based on the floor field cellular automata model. This model is extended by incorporating a load-balancing mechanism at the automatic fare gate to simulate staff guidance. It also incorporates a multi-exit selection mechanism and inter-floor transfer rules for passengers within multi-level subway transfer stations. Based on this framework, this study systematically investigates the impact of enabling and controlling passenger flow through transfer passages on overall evacuation efficiency and safety. The results indicate that when the transfer passage is available, it is necessary to control the proportion of people utilizing the transfer passage to effectively utilize spatial resources. Otherwise, certain levels may become overly congested, thereby increasing evacuation risks. Our research provides insights for evacuation management in crowded transportation hubs like subway stations, and our methodological framework can also be adapted to various transfer subway stations, thereby optimizing their safety management.