University of Twente Student Theses
Wie Wilt Weer Noar Huus : A study into improving crowd management at Enschede Kennispark
Harmsen, H.Z. (2025) Wie Wilt Weer Noar Huus : A study into improving crowd management at Enschede Kennispark.
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| Abstract: | In the east of the Netherlands, a small train station is located adjacent to a large football stadium. This station, Enschede Kennispark, is not designed to accommodate the large influx of train travellers following matches at the stadium. Crowd management measures are essential to ensure smooth operations, yet a disproportionately high number of stewards is required due to the misbehaviours that frequently arise during the outflow phase. Recognising these challenges, the social security manager of NS seeks to improve the situation at Enschede Kennispark. The problem analysis identifies several challenges at the station after matches at the Grolsch Veste, with the most significant issues affecting travellers heading toward Hengelo. Consequently, this study focuses primarily on this flow. A mismatch between the safe platform capacity and train capacity results in waiting times of up to 30 minutes. Additionally, there are limited means to inform travellers about train delays or schedule changes. It is hypothesized that longer waiting times lead to an increase in misbehaviour. The objective is to reduce waiting times; however, this is complicated by varying match characteristics and end times, which affect the effectiveness of different measures. Furthermore, multiple stakeholders, each with their own responsibilities and objectives, may have conflicting interests, adding to the challenge. A literature review provides insights into the effects and perception of waiting times. Waiting is generally perceived as a negative experience, with perception largely influenced by the availability and quality of information. Research indicates that standstill waiting times should be minimised, particularly those exceeding eight minutes, as they can significantly impact individuals' moods. Based on these insights, this thesis aims to “reduce misbehaviours at Enschede Kennispark after football matches in the Grolsch Veste by providing recommendations to the social security manager of NS in order to decrease the actual and perceived waiting times.” To develop effective measures for reducing waiting times, this study applies the framework ‘selecting and assessing effective crowd management measures’ (Mensink, 2017). A microscopic pedestrian simulation model is used to accurately quantify the effects of various measures and to evaluate multiple interventions across different scenarios. The scenarios that are considered are 1) a regular FC Twente match on Sunday afternoon, 2) a match with a late ending when fewer trains are available, and 3) an FC Twente match with an increased number of visitors. The measures which are analysed are 1) a readjustment of the train stop position on the platform to better match the influx on the platform and increase the safe waiting capacity, 2) an expansion of the platform such that the safe waiting capacity can be further increased, 3) an extra shuttle train to decrease the headways, and 4) an alteration of the turnstile program to reduce the standstill wait time. The impact of these measures is assessed based on key performance indicators, which follow out of the objectives of stakeholders, and include standstill waiting times, total pedestrian delays, walk-in and walk-out counts, average crowd density, and Level of Service. Among the proposed measures, introducing an extra train is the most effective at reducing standstill waiting times while maintaining a safe crowd density. This option is particularly beneficial in mitigating misalignment between match end times and train schedules. Platform expansion also significantly reduces standstill waiting times; however, it increases crowd densities on the platform to potentially dangerous levels. Readjusting the train stop position performs slightly worse than the other two measures, yet is still a large improvement to the baseline, and offers the advantage of being cost-effective. Lastly, the alternative turnstile programme alleviates queue densities at the turnstiles but results in slightly longer waiting times. Future research could focus on intervention studies to assess the actual benefits of the measures, or on simulation of queues in the social forces model. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 55 traffic technology, transport technology, 56 civil engineering |
| Programme: | Civil Engineering and Management MSc (60026) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106204 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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