We developed a prototype "passenger flow control system" to guide passengers and provide information to avoid crowded spots at stations and on railway vehicles by predicting the passenger flow after several minutes through real-time passenger flow simulation based on the data collected at automatic ticket gates and with sensors installed at station concourses and staircases, thereby aiming at relaxing crowdedness and cutting the boarding/alighting time. In a survey at a station to make passengers see a guidance screen created by the prototype system based on the flow data at the station, about 30% of respondents replied that they would change their boarding positions or take different actions according to the information provided by the screen.

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