Case Study: SYSTRA achieves optimized passenger flow and lower energy costs at Gare du Nord with Bentley LEGION

SYSTRA Optimizes People Movement in a Railway Station Expansion

SYSTRA, the engineering and consulting group retained to redesign Paris’s Gare du Nord, faced the challenge of accommodating growing passenger volumes (from 200 million annually toward 300 million by 2030) and the near-term surges from major events like the 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2024 Olympics. Working within the EUR 600 million “Stationord” expansion, SYSTRA needed to eliminate bottlenecks, optimize passenger flow across complex multi-level halls and terminals, and help the project meet safety, connectivity, and sustainability goals—using tools from vendor Bentley, notably the LEGION pedestrian simulation software.

Using Bentley’s LEGION, SYSTRA built dynamic 2D/3D simulations, density maps, and animated scenarios to test design options, measure congestion and comfort, and model diverse passenger behaviors and obstacles. The analyses informed the station’s final configuration, prevented costly rework, removed unnecessary spaces to lower energy consumption, and ensured smooth operations during peak volumes—future-proofing the expansion while improving safety, passenger experience, and commercial access within the renovated Gare du Nord.

SYSTRA

Gonzalo Tavares

Mobility and Pedestrian Flow Analyst