Exploring the role of public transport information sources on perceived service quality in suburban rail

Abstract

Information is a powerful tool to enhance the perceived service quality of public transport. Online information sources have become very popular and coexist with traditional sources like posters and signage, however it remains unclear whether those sources impact evenly to the service perception. This paper aims to explore the influence of different information sources on the service attributes and perceived service quality. For that, we take data from the annual Traveller Satisfaction Survey of the suburban rail of Madrid Region and adapt a robust service quality assessment framework to consider information sources. First, four passenger segments arise according to their preferred information source, including online and offline. Then, we assess the perceived service quality of each segment using a combination of CART and IPA techniques. Results expose a relevant role of information on the suburban rail service satisfaction, contrarily to previous studies focused on urban rail. We have also detected some heterogeneity on the relative importance of attributes depending on the information role: online-informed passengers care most about core attributes while traditionally informed passengers are more influenced by comfort. Last, the IPA reveals a general need to improve service reliability, train supply and up-to-date information.