Optimizing Metro Passenger Flow Prediction: Integrating Machine Learning and Time-Series Analysis with Multimodal Data Fusion

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Accurate passenger flow forecasting is crucial in urban areas with growing transit demand. In this paper, we propose a method that combines advanced machine learning with rigorous time series analysis to improve prediction accuracy by integrating different datasets, providing a prescriptive example for passenger flow prediction in urban rail transit systems. The study employs advanced machine learning algorithms and proposes a novel prediction model that combines two-stage decomposition (seasonal and trend decomposition using LOESS–ensemble empirical mode decomposition (STL-EEMD)) and gated recurrent units. First, the STL decomposition algorithm is applied to break down the preprocessed data into trend terms, periodic terms, and irregular fluctuation terms. Then, the EEMD decomposition algorithm is employed to further decompose the irregular fluctuation terms, yielding multiple IMF components and residual residuals. Subsequently, the decomposed data from STL and EEMD are partitioned into training and test sets and normalized. The training set is utilized to train the model for optimal performance in predicting subway short-time passenger flow. The synthesis of these sophisticated methodologies serves to substantially enhance both the predictive precision and the broad applicability of the forecasting models. The efficacy of the proposed approach is rigorously evaluated through its application to empirical metro passenger flow datasets from diverse urban centers, demonstrating marked superiority in predictive performance over traditional forecasting methods. The insights gleaned from this study bear significant ramifications for the strategic planning and administration of public transportation infrastructures, potentially leading to more strategic resource allocation and an enhanced commuter experience.