New insights into passenger behaviour help prevent congestion at the metro stations of the future
Metroselskabet has mapped passenger movements during rush hour and can now predict more precisely where congestion arises at stations. This knowledge is already being incorporated into a digital simulation tool used to design the metro stations of the future.
The mapping gives Metroselskabet a better understanding of passengers’ choice of metro doors and how station layout affects where congestion occurs. The company is using this new knowledge to plan the upcoming elevated stations on the M4 in Outer Nordhavn and later on the M5, as well as to improve passenger flow on the M1 and M2. The aim is to develop stations where passengers distribute themselves more effectively, so that congestion can be prevented already in the design phase.
Now that we know more about how passengers move around stations, we can design them better. The analysis gives us new insight into where passengers naturally gather and where bottlenecks may occur. This enables us to prevent congestion even before the stations are built
Facts about the analysis and the simulation tool
- The analysis is based on the elevated stations Vestamager and Ørestad and will be used to assess how station design may affect where passengers gather on the platforms at the new stations on the M4 in Outer Nordhavn and future elevated stations on the M5.
- The analysis shows that many passengers deliberately choose the metro door that allows them to continue their journey quickly when they alight. The location of stairs and escalators, as well as the station layout, can therefore affect whether congestion arises.
- The studies and analysis were conducted from September to December 2025 in collaboration with Gehl and Trivector Traffic. The studies consist of observations and a questionnaire survey at Vestamager and Ørestad stations during rush hour.
- The observations cover passenger boarding and alighting on a total of 25 trains during rush hour, and 169 passengers took part in the questionnaire survey.
- The results of the analysis have been incorporated into the simulation program PTV Viswalk, which can simulate passenger flow at stations and which Metroselskabet will use as a tool in its work on passenger flow.
- The Metro’s elevated stations are built with a simple design in order to limit material use and CO2 emissions. It is therefore important to design the stations so that passengers distribute themselves appropriately on the platforms.
- Construction of the new stations on the M4 is expected to begin in 2027. The stations are scheduled to open in 2030. Construction of the M5 is expected to begin in 2028, and the first stage of the line will open in 2036.
Preventing congestion already in the design phase
The simulation tool includes a total of nine passenger types, reflecting the different ways passengers use the Metro during rush hour. These passenger types are based on the analysis of passenger behaviour on the platform.
The simulation tool allows Metroselskabet to test different station designs against these passenger types before the stations are built. Using video visualisations and heat maps, Metroselskabet can see how passengers are expected to move through the station and where congestion may arise.
“The better we understand passenger behaviour, the better we can plan the stations. This is about creating stations where passengers can get to and from the trains easily, and where capacity can keep pace with the expected growth in the number of travellers,” says Eva Lind.
The Metro is expected to continue seeing passenger growth in the coming years. As a result, work on passenger flow is playing an increasingly important role in the development of new stations and metro lines. Metroselskabet is using the simulation tool in its work on the two new elevated stations on the M4 – Levantkaj and Nordsø Plads – and later on stations on the M5. The goal is to prevent congestion and avoid bottlenecks on the platforms.
