Tackling Overcrowding with Video Analytics for Public Transport

Overcrowding occurs when the number of passengers on a platform or inside a vehicle exceeds its intended or comfortable capacity, most commonly during peak hours, service disruptions, or major events. It creates measurable safety risks, including balance issues, increased stopping distances, and higher injury risk, and it significantly increases dwell times once vehicles exceed roughly 60% of capacity. AI-powered video analytics, such as Isarsoft Perception, addresses overcrowding by turning existing security cameras into real-time crowd counting and monitoring systems without new hardware. Using an anonymized, GDPR-compliant approach gives operators the insights needed for crowd management, capacity planning, and predictive scheduling.

What is overcrowding in public transport?

Overcrowding refers to a situation where the number of individuals occupying a particular space exceeds its intended or optimal capacity. It is often linked to discomfort, inconvenience, and safety risks for affected passengers. In public transport specifically, overcrowding shows up as congestion on platforms and inside vehicles and it carries added risk because it combines high density with moving vehicles, confined spaces, and time pressure to board.

Why does overcrowding happen in public transport?

Overcrowding is a phenomenon that can occur because of several factors.

1. High demand:
   Public transportation systems often experience peak hours when large numbers of people need to commute simultaneously, such as during morning and evening rush hours. This demand can exceed available vehicle capacity, causing overcrowding in vehicles and on platforms.
2. Limited capacity:
   Public transport vehicles have a limited number of seats and standing spaces. If the number of passengers exceeds this capacity, overcrowding in vehicles can occur. It is particularly common in densely populated areas or on popular routes.
3. Inadequate service frequency:
   If the frequency of public transport services is insufficient to meet the demand, passengers may face long waiting times between vehicles. As a result, when a vehicle arrives, passengers rush to board, increasing the likelihood of overcrowding.
4. Infrastructure constraints:
   Public transport infrastructure, such as bus stops, train platforms, or subway stations, may not have enough capacity to handle a large influx of passengers or are temporarily limited due to construction. Insufficient platform space or limited access points can contribute to overcrowding during peak hours, like it happened at Munich central station, for example.
5. Service disruptions or delays:
   When there are service disruptions, delays, or cancellations, the number of passengers waiting for the next available vehicle can accumulate rapidly. Leading to overcrowding when the delayed or resumed service arrives.
6. Events or special occasions:
   Public transport can become overcrowded during major events, concerts, or festivals when a large number of people are traveling to or from the event location. These temporary surges in demand can strain the capacity of the transport system.

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Risks of passenger overcrowding

• Balance issues:
  When trains become overcrowded, uneven weight distribution can lead to significant balance issues. Because passengers tend to congregate in certain areas, such as near entrances which are causing an imbalance. This uneven weight distribution can affect the train's center of gravity, potentially compromising its stability and increasing the risk of derailment or accidents.
• Increased stopping distance:
  The increased number of passengers on board adds to the overall weight and mass of the train. This additional weight requires more braking force to slow down the train, leading to an extended stopping distance.
• Delays:
  Large crowds slow down boarding and alighting through congestion at entrances; this creates a higher dwell time of vehicles in stations. The higher weight is the main reason for the reduced speed of vehicles. Crowding significantly increases dwell time once a vehicle exceeds roughly 60% of its capacity.
• Injury:
  Overcrowding restricts the available space within train carriages, making it difficult for passengers to move freely or find stable footing. This lack of personal space can lead to accidental collisions, trips, slips, and falls.
• Health issues:
  Overcrowded places with inadequate ventilation can lead to poor air quality. Breathing in stale air and a high concentration of pollutants can cause respiratory problems, and together with high density and temperature, it increases the risk of passengers passing out.
• Psychological impact:
  Tight spaces with large crowds for extended periods can cause stress, anxiety, and feelings of claustrophobia. The constant noise, lack of personal space, and limited control over the environment can lead to irritability, reduced well-being, and increased aggression. Unmanaged, these factors can escalate into real safety incidents.
• Higher contagion:
  Heightened risk of spreading infectious diseases. Crowded transport systems create an environment where pathogens can easily be transmitted from person to person. The lack of personal space, limited ventilation, and proximity to others facilitate the rapid spread of illnesses or diseases.
• Criminal activities:
  Overcrowding creates opportunities for theft, pickpocketing, and harassment. Dense crowds make it easier for perpetrators to blend in and exploit vulnerable individuals.

Overall, these risks show that overcrowding is more than just a passenger comfort issue. Overcrowding strains infrastructure, endangers health and safety, and damages operators' reputations through a poor passenger experience.

Legal situations

The legal situation regarding overcrowding in public transport varies by country, but most jurisdictions place a general safety obligation on operators. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2021/782 protects rail passengers mainly around disruptions and information rights rather than setting explicit crowding limits, leaving overcrowding prevention largely to national law. In Germany, the Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG) requires operators to demonstrate operational safety as a licensing condition, with technical standards like BOStrab and BOKraft further shaping how capacity and safety are managed in practice.

Solutions 

Crowd management 

Refers to the process of effectively organizing, controlling, and ensuring safety. It involves developing strategies, protocols, and measures to handle crowds.

Important components of crowd management are: Determining the maximum capacity, identifying potential risks, developing emergency response plans and procedures, as well as ensuring an adequate number of security personnel.

The last aspect leads to the second part of solutions for passenger overcrowding.

Crowd control

This involves measures and techniques used to manage and regulate the behavior, movement, and safety of large groups of people. It involves maintaining order, preventing disturbances, and ensuring well-being.

Common methods and techniques of crowd control are establishing physical barriers and providing clear signage to define specific areas, control access points, guide the flow, and in worst-case scenarios, de-escalation and conflict resolution are necessary.

How video analytics powers crowd management

Video analytics doesn't replace physical crowd control measures like barriers or signage, but it makes crowd management faster and more precise, giving operators the real-time data they need to decide when and where control measures are needed. Software like Isarsoft Perception, powered by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer vision, offer a range of solutions to address overcrowding. Here are some key ways in which video analytics can help combat overcrowding:

Automated crowd counting 

Video analytics can accurately count the number of people in specific areas, such as platforms, stations, or buses. By automating this process, transportation operators can have real-time information on passenger loads, allowing them to make data-driven decisions on resource allocation and crowd management strategies.

Real-time crowd monitoring

Video analytics can provide real-time insights into crowd density, movement patterns, and congestion hotspots. By analyzing video feeds from existing cameras, transportation authorities and operators can have a comprehensive understanding of overcrowding situations as they unfold. This enables proactive decision-making and resource allocation to alleviate congestion promptly.

Capacity planning and predictive analytics

Because of video analytics, exported historical data can be analyzed for future crowd patterns and estimate capacity requirements. This helps transportation authorities optimize schedules, deploy additional services, or implement crowd control measures in anticipation of peak periods, minimizing overcrowding scenarios and ensuring a smoother flow of passengers.

In summary, the implementation of smart counting systems and passenger flow analysis can aid in managing crowd density and improving overall safety.

See overcrowding before it becomes a safety incident.

Overcrowding is a safety and business risk transportation operators can't afford to manage by guesswork. Isarsoft Perception uses AI-powered video analytics to turn your existing security cameras into a real-time overcrowding detection and prevention system. The software solution does not require new hardware and connects fluently to your current camera infrastructure and VMS.

The system counts and monitors crowd density accurately, without identifying individual passengers. The footage is anonymized by design, ensuring GDPR-compliance and giving operators the real-time and predictive data they need to act before a platform or vehicle becomes a safety risk.

Explore how Isarsoft supports public transport associations with crowd management, APC, passenger flow, and more.

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Further References:

Respiratory Problems

Crowding increases dwell time: Fletcher, G. & El-Geneidy, A. (2013). Effects of Fare Payment Types and Crowding on Dwell Time. Transportation Research Record.

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