Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction – A Literature Review

Abstract

<jats:p>While rail-based public transport is clearly a more advanced and preferable alternative to driving and a way of overcoming traffic congestion and pollution problems, the rate of uptake for rail travel has remained stagnant as a result of various well-known issues such as that commuters either use a more reliable and comfortable alternative to get from A to B and/or that they are not satisfied with the quality of service provided. This study examined the factor of user satisfaction regarding rail-based public transport with the aim of discovering precisely what factors have a significant effect on the user satisfaction and uptake of rail travel. This was approached using both the Delphi approach and a thorough review of the current literature, focusing on a total of nine possible factors affecting passenger satisfaction with rail travel availability of service, accessibility of service, ticket or pass, punctuality, clarity of information, quality of customer service, comfort, safety, and image. Also discussed were 29 extra possible attributes and several measures that were implemented in various countries to increase the service quality. It was concluded that this review will provide valuable information for policymakers, researchers and service providers in terms of specifying the service factors most worth investigating if the quality of this crucial means of transport is to be raised.</jats:p>

Gender and Age Do Matter: Exploring the Effect of Passengers’ Gender and Age on the Perception of Light Rail Transit Service Quality in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

“…The staff must be courteous and professional when dealing with passengers and provide precise, current, and reliable information. Professional-looking uniform can improve staff appearance [15]. Another critical factor that ensures passenger satisfaction with the LRT service is passenger comfort, which is influenced by factors such as temperature and cleanliness.…”

“…Another critical factor that ensures passenger satisfaction with the LRT service is passenger comfort, which is influenced by factors such as temperature and cleanliness. According to Ibrahim et al [15] and Geetika [83], the service provider should ensure passengers' comfort on the train and at the station as this could significantly enhance passenger satisfaction. Comfort includes thermal comfort and cleanliness on the train and at the station.…”

“…One of the ways to achieve sustainable mobility and transportation development in urban areas is by encouraging LRT usage. Even though the public is aware of the significance of sustainable transportation, most of them still exhibit limited structural behavior aimed at transportation sustainability [13,14], which is evident by the lower public acceptance of public transportation as a commuting alternative [15][16][17][18]. Despite the fact the government and authorities strongly encourage the use of public transport, the response from the public is still disappointing.…”

“…According to Masirin et al [19], the rate of railway ridership in the Klang Valley is still low even though the government has invested a large amount of money promoting the use of railway services since the past few years. Several studies on the rail-based public transportation in Malaysia reported a low ridership for this mode of public transportation [15][16][17]. According to Van Lierop et al [18], many rail-based transport services throughout the world have to deal with the same problem.…”

Getting Young Drivers to Buckle Up: Exploring the Factors Influencing Seat Belt Use by Young Drivers in Malaysia

“…Continuous urbanisation brings with it the need for different forms of transportation for commuting. Globally, the primary method of commuting is private transportation [1,2]. Even though private transportation is not a sustainable mode of transport, it offers comfort, convenience, time efficiency, reliability, privacy, and flexibility [3,4].…”