Solving the Supply–Demand Imbalance at Subway Stations: A Refined Facility Layout Optimisation Method Based on ECRS

The future development in urban rail transit will place greater emphasis on operational economy and transport efficiency. However, current subway systems generally encounter challenges such as passenger congestion during peak hours, uneven equipment utilisation efficiency, and excessive operating costs. These problems not only intensify urban traffic pressure but may also increase safety risks, such as crowd congestion or stampedes. Therefore, this study develops an integrated optimisation framework for subway station facilities that combines Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange, Simplify (ECRS) process logic with passenger flow bottleneck identification and simulation‐based verification. This model identifies passenger flow bottlenecks through four indicators and takes the ECRS principle in industrial engineering as its core methodology. Based on these indicators, an iterative optimisation framework was constructed and evaluated through simulation. The results demonstrate that the average passenger dwell time is reduced from 258.58 to 171.75 s and the proportion of high‐density areas decreases by more than 70%. Meanwhile, the optimisation reduces redundant facilities and balances equipment utilisation, thereby lowering operating costs while improving passenger throughput efficiency. In addition, optimising passenger flow paths further improves movement efficiency. The proposed framework establishes a structured decision‐making process that links bottleneck diagnosis, facility layout adjustment, and simulation‐based performance evaluation. By translating concepts from queuing theory and pedestrian dynamics into operational indicators, the framework supports systematic identification of congestion sources and provides practical guidance for facility layout optimisation in subway stations.