A systems design study introducing a collection point for baggage transfer services at a railway station in the UK

Abstract

Railway transport has shown a steady growth in passenger numbers over the past 20 years across the UK. Passengers travel with luggage. It has been forecasted that there will be a reduction of “luggage racks-to-seats” ratio in the future passenger train fleet. There are currently no baggage transfer systems at any of the train stations as part of the urban rail transit system in the UK. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of having a baggage transfer service at Newcastle Central Station, which can serve different travel destinations. A simulation modelling study of different parts of the baggage check-in shop within the railway station is offered. Check-in point, movement of luggage around Newcastle Central, baggage reclaims and storage areas have been contemplated and evaluated using SIMUL8 event-based simulation package. The results for the simulation model developed show that a baggage transfer service at Newcastle Central Station is possible with a mixture of walk-in and online check-in options.