Title: Modelling queues at ferry stations: principles and application

Authors: Iñigo L. Ansorena

Addresses: Polytechnic University of Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Madrid 28040, Spain

Abstract: It is well known that the flow of passengers at ferry stations is characterised by random variations following ferry schedules. Recognising the need to manage congestion, an approach based on queuing models is proposed. The motivation for this type of modelling comes from the short-term, where the knowledge of bottlenecks is essential for efficient facility management. An empirical case study is presented to explore the effectiveness of the queuing model and reveal waiting times, service times, queuing duration and service levels. The methodological framework proposed in this paper sheds new light on service points and is therefore a good starting point for improving processes at peak times. In addition, the queuing model can be used to simulate more complex scenarios in the future.

Keywords: queues; ferry station; waiting times; queue lengths; level of service; LOS; waiting area; Jackson network.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2022.122686

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2022 Vol.41 No.3, pp.357 - 368

Received: 28 Jun 2019
Accepted: 01 Nov 2019
Published online: 05 May 2022 *

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