This paper describes the design and implementation of a route-choice support system for passengers as encountered with unexpected disturbance of train operations. When train operation is disturbed due to some accidents or natural disasters, passengers have to decide what they should do to get to their destination as early as possible (or possibly "as comfortably as possible"). Unfortunately, however, this is not an easy task for passengers since sufficient information for decision-making (i.e. time to resumption, estimated time to destination, etc) is rarely provided to them. Therefore, we have developed as passenger support system which informs passengers of information on the optimal routes to their destinations by taking into consideration the predicted resumption time from the disturbance and the expected required time to each destination. More concretely, the system helps passengers decide whether to take the detour routes to their destinations or not (i.e. wait for the resumption). The system consists of an optimal route calculation engine and diversified man-machine interfaces, each of which is designed for a specific guidance application. A typical application of the system might include variable signs for many and unspecified passengers at stations, support systems for sation staffs engaged in passenger guidance, personalized guidance systems using passengers' portable terminals. Resumption time and required time to each destination are predicted based upon "resumption process model" whose parameters are determined by the statistical analysis of past data of train operation disturbances. The evaluation test of the prototype system by a number of subjects will be carried out in near future.

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