Refurbishment
concourse supporting the terminating platforms and a number of columns and supporting structures in the way of sight lines.
Research is also being undertaken to ensure the end result meets passenger needs through looking at how their door-to-door journey can be helped through better wayfinding. The aim is to understand how people will interact with the architecture and spaces within the station - for example, how they might get from a train arriving from Brighton and connect to the Underground.
As with the control room, this research
is being undertaken by CCD alongside the Network Rail Ergonomics team, together with the architects Grimshaw and designers Maynard. It forms the backbone of the wayfinding strategy using analysis of train service patterns, the proportion of passengers on different services, variations in platform allocations, final destinations for passengers and variations between weekday and the weekend. The data has been used to map all the decision points throughout the station enabling the team to define passenger information needs and information hierarchy at each point. The process has already enabled the architects to make decisions on the sizing and design of the public areas and will be used by Maynard to finalise the placement and provision of passenger information signage.
The static signage and digital CIS information displays are being designed in tandem because that is how passengers read them. At the same time, the wayfinding system is being created to work with the operational demands of the station, especially during peak periods when there is a stronger need to manage and control crowds. Co-ordinating the wayfinding and customer information systems aims to overcome these challenges.
Conceived at the planning stage and with the needs of station users at its core,
the wayfinding system at London Bridge will be a substantial leap forward for the rail industry. Network Rail is investing greater time, money and expertise in ensuring that the needs of people are fully understood and the design reflects those needs. Key to this is the programme of user research which is having a substantial impact on the final design and layout. The irony is that if it works as well as expected, none of the passengers will even notice it.
Quick and efficient ticket buying Ticket buying is often a major cause of passenger dissatisfaction so a third area where human factors thinking is playing a major role is in the design of the ticketing area. CCD will input to the design of the ticket office to ensure that it accommodates all passengers and allows for a quick and efficient transaction. Ticket machines will be placed in logical locations where passengers need them and to avoid queues blocking entrances. So travellers in 2018 can expect to be able to find, use and leave the ticketing
area with the minimum of fuss whether they’re early or having to dash for the train that leaves in two minutes from platform 12.
Where there's a way With the work at London Bridge continuing for another five years, there is an argument for a temporary wayfinding system because passengers need to negotiate temporary and possibly counter-intuitive passenger flows, the close proximity of construction site workers and equipment and temporary facilities, signage and hoardings. This would involve applying a different but related set of design principles that begin with taking a passenger-centred view when planning the project and its phases. Temporary but highly flexible wayfinding can evolve with the scheme, alongside additional information provision across all passenger touchpoints to reduce confusion and improve overall efficiencies.
Human factors thinking is playing a major role in shaping how the refurbished London Bridge station will look and feel. The extensive use of research and behavioural experts at the earliest stages, and on a much larger scale than before, means that the new station will provide a model of best practice for other
refurbishments. • David Watts is managing director of CCD Design and Ergonomics
www.ccd.org.uk
September 2013 Page 71
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