Passenger flow management in bidirectional channels: Experimental simulation and system identification of diversion railing configuration

To investigate the effect of the position of the diversion railing in a bidirectional channel on the dynamic behavior of the crowd under different passenger flow conditions, the experimental scene is constructed using MassMotion simulation software integrated with the social force model, and numerical simulation is employed to systematically examine how changes in the diversion railing’s position affect crowd density on both sides. Experimental findings indicate that the placement of the diversion railing notably influences the dynamic behavior of passenger flow within the channel. In addition, based on the system identification method, this study develops a predictive model to assess how the position of the dynamic railing affects passenger flow density on either side of the channel, which provides a mathematical model reference for optimizing the design of bidirectional channels. This study provides theoretical support for the design of the diversion railing position and passenger flow organization in complex bidirectional channels.