The Study of Evacuation Simulation in Elevated MRT Stations: A Case Study of Taoyuan MRT A8 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Station

The A8 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Station is an important transportation hub on the Taoyuan Metro line, with a relatively high number of elderly passengers due to its proximity to a large hospital. In crowded areas, any incident poses a significant challenge for emergency evacuation. This study combined on-site surveys of pedestrian flow speeds with simulations using BuildingEXODUS and SMARTFIRE software, focusing on elderly individuals as the representative vulnerable group for A8 Station. By setting different proportions of elderly passengers, the study explored whether evacuation times met the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association 130 standards under both normal and fire-emergency conditions. The simulation results were validated through expert interviews, leading to recommendations for corresponding safety management strategies. The findings indicate that as the proportion of elderly passengers increases, there is a significant impact on evacuation time when using passenger walking speed parameters, which does not fully align with some results from the A8 Station disaster prevention plan, thereby increasing the risk to passengers during emergencies.