Comparison of Thermal Comfort in Different Subway Spaces in China’s Hot Summer and Cold Winter Region: A Field Investigation Based on Subway Station Transition

With the accelerated development of subways in China, elevated subway stations (ESSs) capitalize on natural ventilation and lighting to significantly save energy. Nevertheless, their thermal environments are rarely addressed. This study conducts annual thermal environment measurements, surveys, and thermal comfort analysis on five typical ESS buildings. The results of field measurements demonstrate that the station’s thermal environment is influenced by architectural space forms such as skylight ratio, platform doors, openness, and platform form. The standard effective temperature—predicted thermal sensation (SET*—PTS) equation was developed based on the survey, indicating that passengers’ thermal adaptability surpasses the PTS. In summer, the neutral temperatures for passengers in open and enclosed stations are 28.74 SET* °C and 27.13 SET* °C, correspondingly. In winter, they are 23.43 SET* °C and 21.98 SET* °C. Physiological changes that passengers experience during the transition from entering the metro station to arriving at the platform were measured and quantified, which confirmed differences in thermal adaptation during the shift between hot and cold environments, emphasizing thermal delay and accumulation effects. This study provides important guidance for the construction, renovation, and operation of ESS buildings and the development of related standards.