Russian Metropolitan Railway Stations as Historical Architectural Masterpieces

According to the author of the article, the appearance of the first railway stations immediately became the most striking image of the time. The history of the architecture of Russian railway stations begins at the same time when the first railway in Russia was built connecting St. Petersburg to Pavlovsk. Previously existing post stations and the so-called road imperial palaces served prototypes for railway stations.The railway station is, first, a story in which both the most interesting architectural and social plots collide. The railway station offers passengers the most vivid images of our time. The architects who designed the first railway stations had to solve problems that no one had ever encountered before: to cover train sheds by a roof, to design platforms, lighting, ventilation, acoustics... All this made the railway station the most technically enriched architectural genre of its time. And in this sense, the railway station architecture is a very interesting plot, in which everything changes very quickly and where all human relations are very aggravated. Therefore, the railway station is a condensed replica of society. Therefore, at the railway station, you can always very clearly see how society is organised. For example, at imperial railway stations, division of passengers per travel classes was obvious and inherent in the architectural program itself. The imperial pavilions, the imperial rooms also make part of the story... The railway station is, first, an image of modernity, mobility and a history of boundaries between the country and the city. This is especially interesting in the case of metropolitan railway stations.

Intervention of an Upgraded Ventilation System and Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Air Quality at Birmingham New Street Railway Station

High NO2 concentrations (long term average of 383 µg/m3 in 2016/2017) recorded at Birmingham New Street railway station have resulted in the upgrade of the bi-directional fan system to aid wind dispersion within the enclosed platform environment. This paper attempts to examine how successful this intervention has been in improving air quality for both passengers and workers within the station. New air pollution data in 2020 has enabled comparisons to the 2016/2017 monitoring campaign revealing a 23–42% decrease in measured NO2 concentrations. The new levels of NO2 are below the Occupational Health standards but still well above the EU Public Health Standards. This reduction, together with a substantial decrease (up to 81%) in measured Particulate Matter (PM) concentrations, can most likely be attributed to the new fan system effectiveness. Carbon Monoxide levels were well below Occupational and Public Health Standards at all times. The COVID-19 pandemic “initial lockdown” period has also allowed an insight into the resultant air quality at lower rail-traffic intensities, which produced a further reduction in air pollutants, to roughly half the pre-lockdown concentrations. This study shows the scope of improvement that can be achieved through an engineering solution implemented to improve the ventilation system of an enclosed railway station. Further reduction in air pollution would require additional approaches, such as the removal of diesel engine exhaust emissions via the adoption of electric or diesel-electric hybrid powered services.

Evaluation of passenger service within the area of Beijing west railway station

Purpose This study aims to analyze passenger service quality in Beijing West Railway Station from the perspective of passengers, to better understand the current service quality and obtain the areas of weakness for improvement. Design/methodology/approach The research investigates the passenger experience of service in Beijing West Railway Station by using a questionnaire survey. The service quality (SERVQUAL) evaluation method is used to analyze the survey data, and it divides the passenger service into 5 attributes with 20 indicators. This research uses the Likert five-level scale method to process data and calculates the SERVQUAL value and weight difference of each attribute to evaluate the passenger service. Therefore, the deficiencies have been pointed out, so the station manager can improve the passenger service accordingly. Findings It is indicated that among the five studied attributes, Beijing West Railway Station has the smallest service quality value in terms of timeliness, which means this part needs the largest improvement. To the five attributes, each lacks in station security check, ticketing efficiency, station identification accuracy, emergency processing of train delays and the restroom environment, respectively. Originality/value The research can provide specific suggestions for the optimization of the passenger service of Beijing West Railway Station, and provide reference information for the formulation of policies.

A Simulation Analyzing Approach to Estimating the Probability of Airborne Infection Risks in Railway Station Platform Coupling with the Wells-Riley Model and Pathfinder Model

Railway station platforms present a particular challenge, especially during a train departure or arrival where some passengers may have potential conditions that make them vulnerable to airborne infections due to the high density and close proximity of passengers. This study presented a simulation analyzing approach to estimating the probability of airborne infection risks in station platform spaces coupling with the Wells-Riley model and Pathfinder model. We examine the impact of overcrowded area of the station platform on infection rates under various traces of evacuation. The result of the potential risk for three modes is discussed, and the results of the standard model under the same parameter setting are optimised. Next, the impact of the ventilated volume based on uneven distribution of individuals and the exposure time based on evacuation on the infection risk in platform spaces are studied. The relationship between platform spaces overcrowding and the infection risk provided further insights to observe the supporting information.

Assessment Method for Dynamic Impact of Large Passenger Flow on Urban Rail Transit Network: A Case Study on Chengdu East Railway Station

Large-scale activities, holidays, and emergencies often cause a significantly large burst of passenger flow demand in some urban rail transit (URT) stations in a short time, called large passenger flow (LPF). The LPF will propagate through the entire URT network of the city. The impact of the frequent occurrence of LPF on network service levels is crucial and unpredictable. This article describes an analysis of how this LPF propagates through the entire network inspired by how radionuclide imaging is done in clinical medicine. In this study, with LPF of URT as the research object, a propagation model of LPF in URT based on AFC data, train operation data, and URT network topology data was developed, which was inspired by the concept of radionuclide imaging in clinical medicine. In the condition of obtaining the list of passenger route selection ratios, the dynamic propagation state matrix of the LPF in the network is solved. The contribution value matrix of the LPF was proposed to evaluate the impact of the LPF on the URT network. Considering the LPF in Chengdu East Railway Station, China, as an example, the propagation effect of LPF in the Chengdu Metro network was analyzed, and the effectiveness of the proposed model was confirmed.

The Grand Central Markets; Heritage-led Regeneration through adaptive reuse

<p>There is growing acceptance that heritage buildings are an important element of New Zealand’s social capital and that heritage conservation provides economic, cultural and social benefits to urban communities. The role of building conservation has changed from preservation to being part of a broader strategy for urban regeneration and sustainability. Heritage-led regeneration through reuse presents an opportunity to encourage the enhancement and protection of both existing built heritage and New Zealand’s historic building stock. Over the years, there has been significant loss of historic heritage in the Auckland city centre, and a number of heritage buildings continue to suffer from neglect, decay, under-use or insensitive new design. There is a need to properly integrate these heritage assets into New Zealand’s future planning strategies. This thesis investigates strategic planning schemes and visions for a mixed-use development to support urban regeneration in Auckland’s City Centre. Imposing a design-led approach, this research will begin by a broad critique of building preservation, adaptive reuse and placemaking theories. In conjunction with this, internationally recognised adaptive reuse, mixed-use and urban regeneration projects will be reviewed. Utilising international literature and precedents, an adaptive research approach is applied to the former Auckland Railway Station in order to demonstrate its potential to be revitalised into a contemporary mixed-use development that reflects Auckland’s diverse cultural mix. The objective of this research investigation is to form a critical design approach to allow the former Auckland Railway Station to become the heart and soul of the community whilst establishing an ecologically sound future. The process will involve a layered response; respecting and conserving the existing fabric, harnessing the ‘sense of place’ and applying interventions that promotes occupation and community engagement.</p>