Modelling, anticipating, adapting: 50 years of commitment to smarter decisions
For decades, CGI has helped transportation organizations use data and technology to respond to change and keep people moving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that experience helped a major Canadian public transportation agency explore how crowd simulation could support safer operations as passengers returned.
At the start of the pandemic, the agency experienced a 95% decline in ridership and needed to understand how physical-distancing requirements could affect passenger flows, capacity, schedules, staffing and the overall travel experience.
CGI recommended simulation modelling and developed a proof of concept for a corridor within a large rail station. Using operational requirements and crowd-simulation software, the team created 2D and 3D models to predict pedestrian movement and evaluate scenarios related to crowd management, train schedules and staff training.
Following the success of the proof of concept, the team began expanding the modelling approach to additional areas and activities. The initiative demonstrated how data-driven simulation can help transportation organizations test options, understand potential impacts and make more informed operational decisions before implementing changes.
What began as a response to an unprecedented disruption showed how simulation can turn uncertainty into practical insights for safer, more adaptable transportation services.
Read the original case study here.
