Investigation of indoor environment comfort in large high-speed railway stations in Northern China

The indoor environment of high-speed railway stations is more complex than in traditional railway stations. This could lead to complex indoor environment problems. In this study, indoor environmental measurements and passenger satisfaction surveys were conducted in two high-speed railway stations in summer and winter, considering the indoor thermal, natural light, acoustic and air environment. The results indicate that the air temperatures in winter were far below comfort standards. The mean illuminance met the standard requirements in both stations. However, the illuminance uniformity was very low in the summer. The acoustic and air environments were satisfactory and have positive impacts on the overall environmental comfort of passengers. The evaluated acoustic environment indicated this has a worst effect on passengers’ comfort. The depth of the waiting halls affected the air environment. The subjective survey revealed the following: Females were more sensitive to the indoor environment than males in winter. Northerners were more satisfied with the environment than Southerners. Older passengers were slightly more tolerant to the environment. Passengers with a longer waiting time would have higher demands for a better indoor environment. Also, passengers were more tolerant in summer than in winter.