2nd Edition

Station Layout 9
selected locations. Such reasons would include places where overcrowding is
more likely, where lack of crowd control is potentially more serious or where
certain trains terminate, reverse or diverge. Clearly giving more space for
these considerations needs to be investigated at all locations together with
the effect that introducing a new line, service or interchange may have on
other stations. In such a case money may well be best spent in a number
of locations instead of all at one new location or project.
The preparation of station standards at an early stage is time well spent.
A good starting point is to consult the Railway Construction and Operation
Requirements issued in the UK by HMSO or any other local requirements in
other countries. Additionally standards adopted by similar types of railways
in the same country, city or conurbation should be taken into consideration.
A useful device to ensure that better standards are always kept in mind and
adopted when opportunity arises is to specify ‘absolute minimum’ standards
as well as ‘desirable’ standards.
2.3 The Objectives in Station Planning
In planning any station the following objectives need to be kept very much
in mind:
• Attractiveness in appearance.
• Free movement of passengers.
• Safe evacuation in emergency.
• Access for the disabled.
• Access for emergency services.
• Safe accumulation and dispersal of crowds.
• Reliable operation of train service.
• Resilience to failure.
• Cost-effective investment.
Clearly these objectives cannot be achieved by provision of adequate space
alone. A successful station is the product of well designed infrastructure,
information and signing systems appropriate for the purpose, and a clear
well promulgated management philosophy. A successful railway system will
only result from a clear understanding of the interaction between the train
service and the stations it serves, both in normal and abnormal operating
conditions.
Station congestion may not always be remedied simply by the provision
of more space. In many cases the solution may often lie in running a