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Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447 435
ABSTRACT
While rail-based public transport is clearly a more
advanced and preferable alternative to driving and a way
of overcoming trafc 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 com-
muters either use a more reliable and comfortable alter-
native to get from A to B and/or that they are not satised
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 fac-
tors have a signicant 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 af-
fecting passenger satisfaction with rail travel availability
of service, accessibility of service, ticket or pass, punctu-
ality, clarity of information, quality of customer service,
comfort, safety, and image. Also discussed were 29 extra
possible attributes and several measures that were imple-
mented in various countries to increase the service quali-
ty. 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.
KEY WORDS
public transport; railway; service quality; user
satisfaction; literature review;
1. INTRODUCTION
In today’s society, public transport plays a vi-
tal role both in urban and rural settings and most
people are either directly or indirectly affected by
the quality, availability and accessibility of public
transport services. Many countries have prioritised
developing good public rail services in order to cut
down on car dependency. Indeed, it is now univer-
sally recognised that dependence on cars is a very
negative development which has only led to trafc
jams, environmental problems, noise, accidents and
air contamination in most of the cities worldwide.
[1]. One of the central steps in ensuring sustainabil-
ity is, therefore, to provide good public transport
systems which offer a high quality and affordable
alternative for citizens and which will lead to a re-
duction in the use of private vehicles. Mouwen [2]
argued that emissions by urban passenger transport
could be reduced by up to 40% by 2050 if commut-
ers switched to alternative means of transport, such
as cycling, walking, or rail travel in cities. Also,
Soehodho [3] conrmed that the number of trafc
accidents would be reduced by providing cheap
public transport which fullled the capacity needs
of travellers.
Unfortunately, the investment and speedy de-
velopment of public transport services by govern-
ments is not always accompanied by the eagerness
AHMAD NAZRUL HAKIMI IBRAHIM, M.Sc.1
E-mail: nazrulhakimi@siswa.ukm.edu.my
MUHAMAD NAZRI BORHAN, Ph.D.1
(Corresponding author)
E-mail: mnazri_borhan@ukm.edu.my
NUR IZZI MD. YUSOFF, Ph.D.1
E-mail: izzi@ukm.edu.my
AMIRUDDIN ISMAIL, Ph.D.1
E-mail: aismail@ukm.edu.my
1 Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Human-Transport Interaction
Review
Submitted: 23 May 2019
Accepted: 19 Feb. 2020
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
RAIL-BASED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE
QUALITY AND USER SATISFACTION – A LITERATURE
REVIEW
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
436 Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447
increasing the ridership? This paper benets re-
searchers and rail-based public transport service
providers by identifying the service factors to be
investigated when addressing the quality of any
rail-based public transport service. Furthermore,
this study identies and discusses the key recom-
mended strategies which need to be adopted if any
real improvement in passenger satisfaction with rail
services is going to take place.
The present review next presents its considered
denition of service factors, followed by a discus-
sion of the factors that affect passenger satisfaction
with public rail transportation. The last section con-
cludes by summarising the primary ndings of the
present review and provides recommendations for
policies which would help improve the passenger
satisfaction.
2. DEFINING SERVICE FACTORS
Even a brief review of the current literature on this
topic reveals how different variables are employed to
discuss the inuences on passenger satisfaction with
rail transport. This means that there were, in fact,
two steps to selecting which denitive service fac-
tors would be employed in the current study: namely,
the literature review and the Delphi approach. Based,
therefore, on a thorough review of the literature, an
initial index of themes and sub-themes was drawn
up, with a total of nine themes selected. These were:
availability of service, accessibility of service, ticket
or pass, comfort, time, information, customer ser-
vice, safety, and image. In addition, 34 sub-themes
were selected from a thorough review of the litera-
ture, using the Delphi method for identifying the cor-
responding sub-themes for each theme, which would
enable the evaluation of the level of importance for
each theme and sub-theme. The Delphi method was
adopted for this study because it would offer a deeper
insight by requiring not just one but several rounds
of questionnaires in an iterative process with experts.
Also, the anonymity of the respondents through this
method would ensure less bias and remove the possi-
ble effects of group pressure [19].
At the beginning of the Delphi process a survey
was designed which would attempt to assess the
opinions of specialists such as researchers and engi-
neers on the nine themes and 34 sub-themes which
were identied from the literature review. This ques-
tionnaire was comprised of two sections, the rst of
which matched the sub-themes with their relevant
themes, while the second used a ve-point Likert
to adopt such facilities. Van Lierop et al. [4] pointed
out that in many parts of the world the use of pub-
lic transport remains at a lower rate than the use of
private vehicles. Masirin et al. [5] conrmed that
this is the case in Kuala Lumpur, where the uptake
of rail-based public transport is still low, in spite of
huge investments over the past few decades. For
Zulkii et al. [6] the rate of rail-based ridership is
also one of the most serious concerns in Asian lit-
erature, due to the factors such as travel costs [7-9],
quality of service [10, 11], paucity of connections,
long distances to and from the stations and home or
workplace [12]. The habits are also recognised as
signicantly affecting the public choice to use pub-
lic transport [13]. Habits, of course, are built when
a particular action is routinely repeated with a cer-
tain amount of stability, resulting in benecial out-
comes. It is a regrettable and widely-recognised fact
that populations are generally reluctant to change
their habit of using private vehicles since they are
faster and able to support a busy lifestyle by offer-
ing more privacy, exibility, comfort, convenience,
reliability, independence, [14, 15].
Given this situation, it is necessary, therefore, to
develop new strategies to make rail transport more
attractive in terms of its sustainability and to nd
ways to attract new users of public transport while
retaining the existing ones [16, 17]. The challenge
is to offer a high-quality public service which fulls
passenger expectations, ensures their satisfaction
and offers value for money. Passengers who are
pleased with the provided rail system will not only
be encouraged to continue using the service in the
future but will be inclined to recommend the ser-
vice to others [4]. It is, therefore, very important to
investigate the user satisfaction with the quality of
the rail-based public transport service in their area.
Generally, it could be said that it is crucial for
policymakers and practitioners to identify and ful-
ly understand precisely which factors inuence the
passenger satisfaction with rail-based public trans-
port prior to formulating comprehensive strategies
for increasing the ridership [18]. In recognition of
the swift development of rail-based public transport
worldwide, it was essential for this study to thor-
oughly review the previous studies in order to gain
a greater understanding of these satisfaction factors.
This study was guided by the following two research
questions: (1) What are the factors inuencing the
user satisfaction? (2) What are the recommended
strategies for improving the user satisfaction and
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
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Table 1 – Description of attributes
Factor Attribute Description
Availability of service
Frequency Number of trips per day;
Network coverage Extension of the rail line for users to access other destination;
Operating hours Operating hours of service;
Parking facility Availability of parking facilities at railway stations;
Accessibility of service
Accessibility Availability of railway to accommodate as many users as possible and
ease of boarding and alighting the train;
Ease of transfer/ Distance Simplest connection for users to another rail line/vehicle;
Ticket/Pass
Ticket price Monetary cost of travel;
Type of tickets/ Pass Various types of tickets/passes such as student, infant and senior citizen
passes or daily, weekly or monthly passes;
Information
On-board information
Up-to-date, precise and reliable information on board (such as route,
stop announcement, advertisement, operating hour, service interrup-
tion);
Information at stations
Up-to-date, precise and reliable information is provided at stations
(such as price, route, stop announcement, advertisement, operating hour,
service interruption);
Travel time
Punctuality Punctuality of train departure and arrival;
Access time Time taken by user to access the railway station from origin;
Travel speed Time spent in train to travel between specic points;
Waiting time Length of waiting time before boarding the train;
Transfer time Time taken by user to transfer to another rail line/vehicle;
Customer service
Driver and
personnel behaviour Attitude and courteousness of the drivers and personnel;
Customer service Effectiveness and swiftness when dealing with user’s daily problems
such as ticket purchasing, auto-gate and ticket validation problem;
Comfort
Cleanliness Level of cleanliness in trains and at the station;
Comfort Level of comfort during the journey in terms of driver handling, access
to seat, leg room on board, comfortable seating;
Seating capacity Number of seats on a train;
Quality of vehicles Physical and mechanical condition of trains, including frequency of
breakdown;
Noise Noise level in trains or at stations;
Temperature Temperature in the train, including air conditioning, heating and venti-
lation;
Waiting condition Quality of waiting environment at stations;
Safety
On board safety Level of safety from crime and accidents in the train;
Safety at station Level of safety from crime and accidents at the station. Safety at station
includes protected walkway, speed limit sign, warning sign, signage;
Image
Image Users’ perception of rail-based public transport or their involvement
with the service;
Eco-friendly Rail-based public transport is greener than for private vehicles.
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
438 Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447
availability of service comprises several factors, in-
cluding service provision, frequency, network cov-
erage, and parking facilities.
The frequency of service is, of course, a key fac-
tor for passengers in the availability of public rail
transportation and has an impact on passenger sat-
isfaction [29, 30]. In fact, Mouwen [2], Tyrinopou-
los & Antoniou [23] and Shen et al. [28] argued
that public transport users perceive frequency as
the largest determinant of whether they would be
willing to depend less on motor vehicles and adopt
public transport [36]. This nding is supported by
Khalid et al. [25] who concluded that the switch to
using commuter trains (KTM commuter) is always
reliant on the service frequency provided by the
service provider (KTMB). As would be expected,
higher frequency positively affects public trans-
port efciency, makes a trip more predictable and
shortens the perceived time, whereas a low-fre-
quency service results in problems like congestion
in rush hours, extended waiting periods, overload-
ing of trains and overcrowding at stations. Natu-
rally, such factors cause users to feel dissatised
with the service on offer and, consequently, less
inclined to adopt the service. A low-frequency
public rail transportation service, unsurprisingly,
results in low ridership [37, 38]. The uptake of
public rail transportation in many developed coun-
tries, such as the United Kingdom, South Korea,
Japan and the United States is high because of bet-
ter frequency compared to that in many develop-
ing countries. For instance, the frequency of the
underground service in South Korea is between 3
to 5 minutes, compared to 15 minutes during peak
hours and 30 minutes during off-peak hours for
commuter trains in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [25].
It is widely agreed that this is the primary reason
for the low rate of ridership of commuter trains in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a situation which has re-
sulted in a very high number of user complaints.
In contrast, the subway in Seoul, South Korea re-
corded a total of 2.619 billion riderships in 2013
[39]. Mouwen [2] and Githui et al. [40] argued that
passengers who have no complaint about frequen-
cy of service are more likely to be satised with
the overall service.
An equally important factor inuencing the
overall satisfaction is the operating hours [31].
Also, the network coverage has an impact on over-
all passenger satisfaction [31, 41]. A literature
review carried out for this study shows that any
scale to rank the level of importance of each of the
themes and sub-themes, ranging from “not import-
ant” through to “very important”.
The Delphi process nally offered 14 (out of 14)
themes and 29 (out of 34) sub-themes which would
serve as the dening service factors for this study
which inuence passenger satisfaction with pub-
lic rail transportation. Interestingly, ve of the sub-
themes, being ticket-selling network, staff commit-
ment, ergonomics, physical assistance and customer
interface were removed from the list due to their mean
score being below three out of ve and, therefore, not
relevant in the judgement of the Delphi experts [20].
The themes (factors), Sub-themes (attributes) and de-
scription of all attributes are presented in Table 1.
3. SERVICE FACTORS THAT
INFLUENCE RAIL-BASED USER
SATISFACTION
The service factors identied in previous liter-
ature and reviewed in this paper are represented
in Table 2. The check (√) symbol denotes a signi-
cantly important factor inuencing the public rail
transportation user satisfaction, while the absence
of ‘√’ means that it is not statistically signicant or
was not used in this study. The ‘√’ symbol is found
throughout Table 2 as different studies investigating
the different service factors which various research-
ers deemed important were based on a variety of
factors linked to the case studies, such as geographic
or demographic factors. For example, Das et al. [21]
concluded that 13 factors were statistically signi-
cant for the satisfaction of monorail users in Kuala
Lumpur, while Yanık et al. [32] argued for only 11
major factors in their study of the metro passengers
of Istanbul.
The following section discusses, in turn, each
of the nine selected factors with their attributes for
this study: availability of service, accessibility of
service, ticket or pass, information, travel time, cus-
tomer service, comfort, safety, and image. It should
be noted that this discussion is not conned only to
the selected papers appearing in Table 2 but refers
also to the literature for support and discussion.
3.1 Availability of service
Availability of service refers to the service
provided by the public rail authorities. The anal-
ysis of the ndings of previous studies shows that
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
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Table 2 – Factors affecting satisfaction for each study
Categories Attributes
Studies
Mouwen [2]
Das et al. [21]
Weinstein [22]
Tyrinopoulos &
Antoniou [23]
de Oña et al. [24]
Khalid et al. [25]
de Oña et al. [26]
de Oña et al. [27]
Shen et al. [28]
Eboli et al. [29]
Fu et al. [30]
Machado et al.
[31]
Yanık et al. [32]
Yilmaz, & Ari
[33]
Šipuš &
Abramović. [34]
Ibrahim et al.
[35]
Availability of
service
Frequency √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Network coverage √ √ √ √ √ √
Service provision hours √ √ √ √ √ √
Station parking √ √ √ √ √
Accessibility of
service
Accessibility √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Ease of transfer/ distance √ √ √ √ √ √
Ticket / Pass Ticket price √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Type of tickets/ passes √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Information On board information √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Information at station √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Travel time
Punctuality √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Access time √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Travel speed √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Waiting time √ √ √ √ √
Transfer time √
Customer service
Driver and personnel’s
behaviour √ √√√ √√√√√ √
Customer service √ √ √
Comfort
Cleanliness √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Comfort √√√ √ √√√√√√√√
Seating capacity √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Quality of vehicles √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Noise √ √ √
Temperature √ √ √ √ √
Waiting condition √ √ √ √
Safety On board safety √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Safety at station √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Image Corporate Image √
Environmentally friendly √ √ √
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
440 Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447
To summarise this section, the ease of access to
stations and the ease of transfer are also important
factors for the satisfaction of passengers using rail-
based public transport.
3.3 Ticket or pass
Another factor which can have a considerable
impact on the satisfaction of rail-based public trans-
port users is ticketing. Public sector rail transpor-
tation authorities have to focus on two essential
aspects of ticketing in an attempt to persuade the
public to use their service: ticket prices and types of
tickets. Travel price is, of course, one of the primary
determinants of satisfaction with any public trans-
port service [26, 30]. Generally, a lower ticket price
contributes to enhancing passenger satisfaction and
increasing rail travel uptake. De Witte et al. [36] also
pointed out, however, that the users are willing to
pay more according to the purpose of their trip and
comfort during their trip. In view of this, Tyrino-
poulos & Antoniou [23] recommended that public
rail transportation operators offer several types of
tickets and passes with different price structures to
cater to the diverse needs of the users. Githui et al.
[40] and Redman et al. [15] also supported a range
of tickets and passes such as seasonal passes (dai-
ly, weekly, monthly), discounted ticket prices for
certain categories of users (e.g. students, children,
persons with disabilities, or senior citizens), trans-
ferrable passes and automated ticketing. Matas [48]
demonstrated that the availability of different prices
and types of tickets improved passenger satisfaction
with the public transport service in Madrid and re-
sulted in a 50% increase in ridership over a period
of ve years.
In summary, it is clear that ticket pricing and the
availability of a wide range of ticket types and pass-
es are also vital for improving passenger satisfac-
tion with the rail services.
3.4 Information
Up-to-date, reliable, and accurate information is
also essential for ensuring the overall passenger sat-
isfaction with public rail transportation. Many stud-
ies have shown that the information provided on
trains and at the stations is statistically signicant
in inuencing the public rail transportation user
satisfaction. Machado-Leóna et al. [31] included
in this information stops on a line, operating hours,
prices, and service interruptions. Clear and updated
well-performing public rail transportation system
will have a wide network coverage which allows
passengers to travel from A to B at their favoured
time with little transfer time [22], access time [27],
and waiting time [23, 25], as well as ease of trans-
fer [29, 31]. Another convenience consideration
for public rail transportation users is whether or
not they will nd parking facilities at the rail sta-
tions (or park and ride facilities). Certainly, this is
also an important motivator for adopting the rail
travel [26].
In short, the public perception of a high-quality
public rail service largely depends on the frequen-
cy of the service, in addition to generous operating
hours, wide network coverage and available park-
ing facilities. These are crucial considerations for
passenger satisfaction, retaining current passen-
gers and attracting new users.
3.2 Accessibility of service
Accessibility is also a key inuencer on public
satisfaction among both ‘captive’ and ‘choice’ pub-
lic rail transportation users [27, 33]. Brons et al. [42]
examined the importance of the trip to the station
to the overall passenger satisfaction and concluded
that, based on the regression analysis, passenger
satisfaction with access to their nearest station is an
important factor in overall satisfaction with the ser-
vice. According to Hine & Scott [43] and Krygsman
et al. [44], accessibility to a rail station inuences
passenger satisfaction and motivates the users to
choose rail-based transport as a travel alternative.
Several studies have investigated the users’ access
journeys to the railway station and conrmed the
importance of this factor, such as Rietveld [45],
Polom et al. [16] and Givoni & Rietveld [46]. An-
other factor which inuences the overall satisfac-
tion within this theme is ease of transfer which,
according to passenger’s transfer experience means
a smooth transfer between vehicles. For Weinstein
[22], the ease of transfer includes the length of the
queue at the exit gate and the presence of serviced
and reliable escalators and lifts. Also, Tyrinopou-
los & Antoniou [23] conrmed that the distance of
transfer inuences the overall satisfaction of rail-
based public transport users. In fact, various studies
have supported the view that the ease of transfer is
correlated with the overall satisfaction [47].
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Githui et al. [40], Mouwen [2], and Weinstein [22].
Consequently, the authors of this paper recommend
that the service operators take steps to ensure the
punctuality of drivers and that trains are in good op-
erating condition, considering the major effect that
these factors have on the on-time performance of
the public rail transportation. Importantly, service
operators should also publicise the preventive ac-
tions they have taken to prevent delays in the arrival
and departure of their trains.
The speed of the train service has also been
shown to correlate with the satisfaction levels as
mentioned by Mouwen [2], de Oña et al. [27], Eboli
et al. [29], and Shen et al. [28]. Naturally, commut-
ers are motivated to use public rail transportation
during peak hours instead of road-based public
transport in order to arrive at their target destina-
tion on time. The speed of trains could be increased
to improve passenger satisfaction, thereby ensuring
their future patronage whilst at the same time at-
tracting potential users. According to the US Fed-
eral Transit Administration, as cited in Redman et
al. [15], an improvement in the rail service which
reduced the commuting time by 15 minutes from
New York station to the outlying areas resulted in
a 24.5% increase in ridership within a one-year pe-
riod. In addition, in the case of buses, Pucher et al.
[52] pointed out that the implementation of priority
bus lanes, which increased the average bus speed
from 11 km/h to 22 km/h, was able to attract as
many as 700,000 new users per day.
Of course, speed is indirectly proportional to the
waiting time. With respect to public rail transpor-
tation, higher speed of vehicles allows for a higher
frequency service to be provided, thereby reducing
the user waiting time at the stations. The analysis
of previous studies indicates that the waiting time
is one of the major determinants of passenger satis-
faction [27, 31, 32]. A long waiting time due to an
unreliable service has a very detrimental effect on
the passenger satisfaction and can cause passengers
to decide not to use the service in the future. For
example, Khalid et al. [25] highlighted the fact that
the users of commuter trains in Malaysia were not
satised with their commuter train service due to
the long waiting times. That study reported that the
longest waiting time for a user before being able to
board a train was 2 hours and 30 minutes. This was
often compounded by not being able to board the
rst train during peak hours due to overcrowding
and low service speed, even though they had arrived
information on train schedules and routes is, nat-
urally, important for improving the passenger sat-
isfaction and attracting new users of rail-based
transport [4]. For the literature, there is widespread
agreement that this area needs to improve radically,
and that rail-based public transport operators and
other relevant authorities should seriously consider
making information on train schedules more readi-
ly accessible, displaying ticket prices clearly at the
station and making announcements in a clear man-
ner using major world languages. Burkhardt [49]
and Krizek & El-Geneidy [50] argued that the two
proven effective ways of delivering information on
the train and at the station are via displays and an-
nouncements. In line with this, the particular infor-
mation discussed in this paper is limited to on-board
information and those provided at the stations by
public rail transportation operators.
It is clear then that providing information to pas-
sengers in these two ways is a contribution to their
overall satisfaction with the service. A recommen-
dation for future studies in line with the advances
in technology is for transport researchers to investi-
gate the advantages of using more advanced meth-
ods of disseminating information afforded by that
technology, such as mobile applications.
3.5 Travel time
Travel time is also, naturally, correlated with
passenger satisfaction levels, since people are gen-
erally more motivated to choose the mode of trans-
port that is able to take them from their point of
origin to their destination in the shortest duration.
It goes without saying that rail-based public trans-
port is a more attractive option during peak hours
compared to other modes of public transport (e.g.
bus) since commuters will not get stuck in trafc.
With this given advantage, it is essential for rail-
based public transport providers to consider im-
proving their time efciency with the aim of en-
hancing passenger satisfaction and attracting more
potential users [51]. Based on a review of previous
studies, punctuality or on-time performance is the
most important factor in ensuring overall passenger
satisfaction with public rail transportation [30, 31].
Unsurprisingly, many studies have conrmed that
the punctuality of a public rail transportation service
is able to enhance passenger satisfaction levels and
that passengers who are satised with the punctu-
ality will probably be satised with the overall ser-
vice. This has been demonstrated by Das et al. [21],
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
442 Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447
Customer service is another essential factor
which determines the level of satisfaction of rail-
based public transport users and dissatisfaction nat-
urally occurs if poor customer service is perceived.
Tyrinopoulos & Antoniou [23] discovered that the
personnel attitude and behaviour (not including
drivers) is one of the most important satisfaction at-
tributes based on the ordered logit model. Addition-
ally, Mouwen [2] pointed out that personnel/ driver
behaviour is the most important element which us-
ers view as the determinant of their overall satisfac-
tion in addition to other factors such as punctuality,
travel speed, service performance, and cleanliness
of the vehicles. This nding has been supported by
several studies [27-30], including a study by Mach-
ado-Leóna et al. [31] which investigated the ser-
vice quality of Algiers’ railway transit system and
found, as expected, that effective customer service
enhances the overall passenger satisfaction. Vari-
ous strategies for improving customer service were
recommended in these studies for ensuring the user
satisfaction with the public rail transportation, such
as improving customer service counters and depart-
ments, enhancing the effectiveness and speed of
dealing with problems and complaints, and provid-
ing the most up-to-date, precise, and reliable infor-
mation at stations. While such recommendations are
nothing new, Geetika [53] made the important point
that personnel behaviour (railway staff, porters, and
parking attendants) is the second most important
determinant inuencing passenger satisfaction.
It is clear that the perceived quality of custom-
er service has an important impact on the overall
passenger satisfaction, demanding more in-depth
study. Improving the quality of their customer ser-
vices is an effective and economic way of improv-
ing the overall public perception of rail-based pub-
lic transport operators. Van Lierop et al. [4], among
many others, argued that fast, effective, and respon-
sive customer service when dealing with problems
would certainly improve the passenger satisfaction
levels.
3.7 Comfort
Many transport studies have addressed comfort
features such as the standard of vehicles and sta-
tions. For this study, the comfort theme comprises
cleanliness, user comfort, seating capacity, quality
of vehicles, noise, temperature, and waiting con-
ditions. Studies show that the two most important
determinants inuencing passenger satisfaction
at the station early to wait for the arrival of the rst
train. This nding was supported by the evidence at
the Los Angeles Metro Orange Line BRT system,
where, according to Pucher et al. [52], the orange
line that was designed to minimise the waiting times
resulted in an over two-fold improvement in rider-
ship compared to other metro lines.
It should be made clear that for this study, the
waiting time refers only to the unexpected waiting
time due to improper service. The expected wait-
ing time (where the user has been notied of service
delay through, e.g. smartphone applications before
arriving at the station) could change the user’s wait-
ing experience but have no adverse effect on the
satisfaction with public rail transportation. More in-
depth studies need to be carried out to investigate
the relationship between the expected waiting ex-
perience and the passenger’s satisfaction level with
the public rail transportation.
Other factors, such as access time, have also been
shown to inuence the rail-based passenger satis-
faction [27, 28]. This is consistent with the ndings
of other studies, such as Eboli et al. [29], Fu et al.
[30], Machado-Leona et al. [31] and Yilmaz and Ari
[33]. The analysis of these studies revealed that the
access time is considered as important as the travel
speed.
It is clear, then, based on the studies discussed
here, that time is considered by passengers to be
of major importance in affecting their satisfaction
with their rail service. Rail-based public transport
service providers are, therefore, recommended to
prioritise punctuality, travel speed, waiting times,
transfer times and access times in their efforts to im-
prove the passenger satisfaction. Shorter and more
punctual travel times will, undoubtedly, inuence
both passenger satisfaction and loyalty to public rail
transportation facilities.
3.6 Customer service
The quality of any interactions between public
rail transportation users and the operators or man-
agement team of the rail system is likely to affect
the overall level of satisfaction [22, 40]. One vital
aspect of such interactions is the professionalism
and courteousness of drivers and personnel and the
manner in which the service providers handle any
complaints lodged by users as well as routine prob-
lems faced by users. The present study denes this
interaction as customer service.
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447 443
3.8 Safety
There are two aspects to safety: visible and
non-visible. Visible safety refers to, for exam-
ple, safety from trafc accidents and crime, while
non-visible safety refers to safety due to psycholog-
ical factors. Based on a review of the literature, two
safety indices were further discussed in this study,
namely safety while on-board rail carriages and
safety at stations.
Safety is a crucial determiner of overall satisfac-
tion levels [29], whether related to on-board safe-
ty [21, 26] or safety at stations [2, 23]. Moreover,
safety with regard to feeling safe from trafc acci-
dents [27] and crime [30] also, naturally, inuences
the satisfaction level of rail-based public transport
users. While Eboli et al. [29] showed that safety
during a journey affects overall satisfaction, Mou-
wen [2] contended that safety at stops is a key de-
terminant of satisfaction. This is in agreement with
the ndings of other studies reviewed for the current
paper, such as Shen et al. [28], Eboli et al. [29] and
Fu et al. [30]. Eboli & Mazzulla [55] in which safety
and security were identied by the users as being
important for their satisfaction with the public rail
transportation sector, in general. Safety-related is-
sues at stations and on trains have certainly attracted
the attention of many researchers worldwide, both in
the developed and in the developing countries.
It could be said, then, that the safety issue, wheth-
er on trains or at stations, is another aspect which
concerns public rail transportation users. To deal
with such valid concerns, the rail service operators
are wise to adopt preventive measures which make
both rail carriages and train stations safer places for
passengers, such as installing a sufcient number of
CCTVs and posting police ofcers on trains in an ef-
fort to prevent pickpocketing, sexual harassment, etc.
3.9 Corporate image
The corporate image of rail-based public trans-
port services and authorities is constructed primar-
ily on the service quality. Put simply, the better the
corporate image, the higher the tendency of the
public to use the service provided by the public rail
transportation operators [57-59]. Corporate image
can have a direct and positive effect on passenger
satisfaction [33], a nding supported by Hsu et al.
[57], Kuo & Tang [59] and Chou & Kim [58]. Pres-
ently, the public transport authorities persuade po-
tential users to use their services via advertisements
are cleanliness and comfort [21, 24]. According to
Weinstein [22], for example, the attributes with the
strongest correlation to cleanliness and comfort are
train cleanliness, comfortable seats and noise level
in trains. These factors, naturally, inuence the sat-
isfaction level of public rail transportation users and
numerous studies conrm that cleanliness and com-
fort have a statistically signicant relationship with
the satisfaction level [31-33]. Greece, Athens, Begg
& Langley [54], basing their study on ordered logit
model analysis, found that vehicle cleanliness was
the most important factor inuencing satisfaction.
This is supported by the ndings of a study on pas-
senger perception of railway services in Northern
Italy carried out by Eboli & Mazzulla [55], which
concluded that cleanliness and comfort, together
with regularity, punctuality and frequency of runs
have the strongest positive effect on service quality,
information and satisfaction level. Regarding clean-
liness, it is clear that service providers everywhere
need to bear the cost of providing more waste bins
and recycle bins to promote recycling campaigns.
Additionally, some policies have to be better en-
forced, such as no-smoking policies, no eating and
drinking policies and, as mentioned, waste recy-
cling policies to improve cleanliness in trains and
at stations.
Lee et al. [56] noted that the level of comfort in
carriages means, for passengers, comfortable seats
on trains. Additionally, Weinstein [22], Das et al.
[21], Mouwen [2], and de Oña et al. [27] found that
seating capacity also plays an important role in de-
termining the satisfaction levels. Other factors that
are closely related to comfort and user satisfaction
are the quality of the carriages [30, 31], noise levels
[33] and on-board temperature [28].
In addition, the waiting conditions, of course,
contribute to passenger satisfaction with public rail
transportation. It should be noted, however, that al-
though many studies have included waiting condi-
tions as a factor in passenger satisfaction with the
public transport, only three studies have shown that
the waiting conditions have a strong inuence on
the levels of satisfaction [21-23]. User perception
of waiting conditions seems to be more import-
ant in the studies carried out in the non-European
countries, for example, the United States [22] and
Malaysia [21]. It goes without saying, then, that the
user comfort is also one of the important elements
that need to be the focus of public rail transportation
service providers everywhere.
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
444 Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447
It has been seen in this review that action is
certainly needed in order to address the passenger
satisfaction with public rail services and that this
comes in the form of a variety of measures. It is
strongly recommended that providers develop ser-
vices which are efcient, physically accessible and
whose capacity meets the needs of passengers. The
services should also be clean, comfortable, afford-
able, trusted, and safe to those who wish to use them,
while information on trains and at stations should
be accurate and regularly updated. This study also
emphasised the need for polite and courteous driv-
ers and personnel who would exhibit good customer
service, which could be achieved through proper re-
peated training courses.
In practical terms, the ndings of this study
might also aid researchers or service providers in
better identication of the factors that inuence the
user satisfaction with rail-based public transport
services. This study can also play an important role
in forming a foundation for future studies of service
quality and user satisfaction related to rail-based
public transport.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research was funded by the Universiti Ke-
bangsaan Malaysia (Grant Number: GUP-2019-015)
and the Ministry of Higher Learning Malaysia (Grant
Number: FRGS/1/2017/TK08/UKM/01/1).
AHMAD NAZRUL HAKIMI IBRAHIM, M.Sc.1
E-mel: nazrulhakimi@siswa.ukm.edu.my
MUHAMAD NAZRI BORHAN, Ph.D.1
E-mel: mnazri_borhan@ukm.edu.my
NUR IZZI MD. YUSOFF, Ph.D.1
E-mel: izzi@ukm.edu.my
AMIRUDDIN ISMAIL, Ph.D.1
E-mel: aismail@ukm.edu.my
1 Jabatan Kejuruteraan Awam,
Fakulti Kejuruteraan dan Alam Bina,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
KUALITI PERKHIDMATAN
PENGANGKUTAN AWAM BERASASKAN REL
DAN KEPUASAN PENGGUNA: KAJIAN
KEPUSTAKAAN
ABSTRAK
Walaupun pengangkutan awam berasaskan rel ada-
lah lebih maju dan menjadi alternatif yang lebih baik
kepada pemanduan kenderaan persendirian, serta mer-
upakan satu kaedah untuk mengurangkan kesesakan
lalu lintas dan masalah pencemaran, kadar pengguna
or mass media campaigns on either television, so-
cial media or in newspapers. According to Borhan
et al. [60], mass media campaigns are able to sig-
nicantly inuence the behaviour and enhance trust
between the customer and the producer, thereby
motivating the customers to try the product. Mass
media campaigns certainly have the potential to
attract the users to adopt public rail transportation
services, which indirectly increases the ridership
and generates income for the service. Even though
there is plenty of evidence that corporate image in-
uences the passenger satisfaction, this factor is sel-
dom included in the papers reviewed by the authors,
with the exception of Yilmaz & Ari [33]. Perhaps
this factor might be included in any future investi-
gations of passenger satisfaction, especially in the
context of public rail transportation. Furthermore,
environmental factors are also associated with the
satisfaction level of public rail transportation users.
This fact has been supported by the studies of Das
et al. [21], de Oña et al. [27] and Ibrahim et al. [35].
For example, rail-based public transport users who
are condent that trafc congestion and pollution
can be reduced by taking public transport because
of a positive corporate image campaign, might be
more satised with the overall service. Having a
modern, environmentally friendly and reputable
image will enhance passenger satisfaction with the
rail service and user willingness to adopt rail-based
public transport services.
4. CONCLUSION
Focusing on public rail transportation passenger
satisfaction and goals for improving this satisfac-
tion, this study is a comprehensive review of the
related literature. The research questions were: (1)
What are the factors inuencing user satisfaction?
and (2) What are the recommended strategies for im-
proving user satisfaction and increasing ridership?
The factors which inuence the user satisfaction
with rail-based public transport and several mea-
sures which might improve passenger satisfaction
were investigated. After a thorough review of the
literature, nine factors were selected: availability of
service, accessibility of service, ticket or pass, in-
formation, time, customer service, comfort, safety,
and image. These were proven, in previous studies,
to have a denite correlation with rail-based public
transport passenger satisfaction.
Ibrahim ANH, Borhan MN, Md. Yusoff NI, Ismail A. Rail-based Public Transport Service Quality and User Satisfaction...
Promet – Trafc & Transportation, Vol. 32, 2020, No. 3, 435-447 445
from: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/
S2352146518300577
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A socio-cognitive analysis. Transp Res Part A Policy
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j.tra.2016.02.010
[8] Borndörfer R, Karbstein M, Pfetsch ME. Models for
fare planning in public transport. Discret Appl Math.
2012;160(18): 2591-605.
[9] Torok A. Statistical Analysis of Transport Performance:
Case Study for Hungary. Procedia Eng. 2017;187: 722-5.
Available from: doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.04.446
[10] Abenoza RF, Cats O, Susilo YO. Travel satisfaction with
public transport: Determinants, user classes, regional
disparities and their evolution. Transp Res Part A Poli-
cy Pract. 2017;95: 64-84. Available from: doi:10.1016/
j.tra.2016.11.011
[11] Farooq MS, Salam M, Fayolle A, Jaafar N, Ayupp K. Im-
pact of service quality on customer satisfaction in Malay-
sia airlines: A PLS-SEM approach. J Air Transp Manag.
Elsevier Ltd; 2018;67 (January): 169-80. Available from:
doi:10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.12.008
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public-transport service: A literature review. Transp Pol-
icy. 2016;48: 183-95.
[13] Thøgersen J. Promoting public transport as a subscription
service: Effects of a free month travel card. Transp Pol-
icy. 2009;16(6): 335-43. Available from: doi:10.1016/j.
tranpol.2009.10.008
[14] STEG L. Can Public Transport Compete With the
Private Car? IATSS Res. 2003;27(2): 27-35. Avail-
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S0386111214601412
[15] Redman L, Friman M, Tommy G, Hartig T. Quality attri-
butes of public transport that attract car users - A research
review. Transp Policy. 2013;25: 119-27.
[16] Polom M, Tarkowski M, Puzdrakiewicz K. Urban Trans-
formation in the Context of Rail Transport Development:
The Case of a Newly Built Railway Line in Gdansk (Po-
land). J Adv Transp. 2018;2018: 15 p.
[17] Borhan MN, Ibrahim ANH, Miskeen MAA. Extending
the theory of planned behaviour to predict the intention
to take the new high-speed rail for intercity travel in Lib-
ya: Assessment of the inuence of novelty seeking, trust
and external inuence. Transp Res Part A Policy Pract.
2019;130: 373-84.
[18] Fellesson M, Friman M. Service Supply and Customer
Satisfaction in Public Transportation: The Quality Par-
adox. J Public Transp. 2009;12(4):13. Available from:
http://www.nctr.usf.edu/jpt/pdf/JPT12-4Friman.pdf
[19] Kamaruzzaman SN, Lou ECW, Wood R, Che-ani AI. De-
veloping weighting system for refurbishment building as-
sessment scheme in Malaysia through analytic hierarchy
process (AHP) approach. Energy Policy. 2018;112: 280-
90. Available from: doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.023
[20] Alyami SH, Rezgui Y, Kwan A. Developing sustain-
able building assessment scheme for Saudi Arabia: Del-
phi consultation approach. Renew Sustain Energy Rev.
2013;27: 43-54.
[21] Das AM, Ladin MA, Ismail A, Rahmat ROK. Consumers
satisfaction of public transport monorail user in Kuala
kereta api masih rendah disebabkan oleh pelbagai isu
seperti pengguna menggunakan pengangkutan alternatif
lain yang lebih di percayai dan selesa untuk perjalanan
daripada A kepada B dan/atau mereka tidak berpuas
hati dengan kualiti perkhidmatan yang disediakan. Ka-
jian ini menyiasat faktor kepuasan pengguna terhadap
pengangkutan awam berasaskan rel untuk mengetahui
dengan lebih tepat faktor yang mempunyai kesan yang
signikan terhadap kepuasan pengguna dan penggu-
naan mod pengangkutan ini. Kajian yang menggunakan
pendekatan Delphi dan kajian menyeluruh terhadap ke-
susasteraan terkini ini telah memberi tumpuan kepada
sembilan faktor yang mungkin mempengaruhi kepuasan
pengguna terhadap perjalanan kereta api; ketersediaan
perkhidmatan, kebolehcapaian perkhidmatan, tiket atau
pas, ketepatan masa, maklumat yang tepat, kualiti perkh-
idmatan pelanggan, keselesaan, keselamatan dan imej.
Turut dibincangkan adalah 29 atribut yang berkemun-
gkinan dapat meningkatkan kepuasan pengguna dan be-
berapa pendekatan yang telah dilaksanakan di pelbagai
negara untuk meningkatkan tahap kualiti perkhidmatan.
Sebagai kesimpulan, kajian ini akan dapat menyediakan
maklumat yang berguna kepada penggubal dasar,
penyelidik dan pembekal perkhidmatan dari segi me-
nentukan faktor perkhidmatan yang paling penting un-
tuk dikaji jika ingin meningkatkan kualiti perkhidmatan
pengangkutan ini.
KATA KUNCI
pengangkutan awam; kereta api; kualiti perkhidmatan;
kepuasan pengguna; kajian kepustakaan;
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