Travelers’ Propensity to Use Intercity Railway Services in Emerging Economies: Significance of Passengers’ Satisfaction and Communication Technologies

Izza Anwer, Muhammad Ashraf Javid, Muhammad Irfan Yousuf (), Muhammad Farooq, Nazam Ali (), Suniti Suparp and Qudeer Hussain
Additional contact information
Izza Anwer: Department of Transportation Engineering and Management, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Muhammad Ashraf Javid: Faculty of Engineering, Sohar University, Sohar 311, Oman
Muhammad Irfan Yousuf: Department of Computer Science, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Muhammad Farooq: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar 34754, Saudi Arabia
Nazam Ali: School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Portsmouth, Lion Gate Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth PO1 3HF, UK
Suniti Suparp: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Srinakharinwirot University, Nakhonnayok 26120, Thailand
Qudeer Hussain: Civil Engineering Department, Kasem Bunding University, Bangkok, 10510, Thailand

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-24

Abstract: This paper focuses on the perspectives of passengers who were railway users and how railways as a service can be uplifted with technological advancements through the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs). For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed comprised of six sections related to information on socio-economic-demographics, travel, station facilities, train facilities, customer care, and familiarity with and benefits of ICTs. A total of 800 respondents were recruited on trains and in railway stations to collect data through a random sampling technique. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, factor analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and ordered logistic regression analysis. The three hypotheses tested showed that (i) there is a correlation between socio-demographic factors, train frequency, and satisfaction levels, (ii) satisfaction with station and train facilities and customer care impacts users’ travel likelihood with the train service, and (iii) users’ familiarity with perceived benefits of ICTs influences passengers’ travel likelihood with the train service. The results indicate that the users’ satisfaction with attributes of station facilities, train facilities, and customer care and perceptions about ICTs significantly influences their travel frequency with the train service. This study is useful for multiple stakeholders, especially for railway management authorities, to provide inclusive services to passengers and to plan for future transportation, which should be well-equipped with ICTs, well-integrated with other transport modes, and well-connected with optimum stops.

Keywords: customer care; information and communication; railways; trains; technologies; users (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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