Exploring the passengers’ socio-economic structure and its impact on the perception of railway infrastructures and services in Tripura, India

Abstract

AbstractThe railway is a cost-efficient transport system that ensures economic development, social well-being, environmental sustainability and regional cooperation. As a prime mode of public transportation, it provides significant passenger service throughout the world. It is necessary to understand what passengers think about railway infrastructures and services to enhance passenger satisfaction, increase ridership and reduce the railway policy gap. Many socio-economic factors like education, income and occupation may influence the epistemological thought process of passengers about railway infrastructure and service quality. This study was conducted in Tripura, North-eastern India, to examine the effect of a passenger’s socio-economic structure on their perception of railway infrastructures and services. About 735 samples were collected from all 27 railway stations of Tripura through stratified random sampling. To understand passenger perceptions about railway infrastructure, a 5-Point Likert Scale has been used. A Modified Satisfaction Index (MSI) has been proposed to analyse the degree of passenger satisfaction by modifying an existing method. The Kuppuswamy socio-economic scale has been used to identify the association of social class on passenger perception to address the policy gap and provide alternative technical solutions by formulating effective strategies for enhancing service quality. The contribution of the study is to provide insights into the importance of considering socio-economic factors in enhancing service quality and improving passenger satisfaction. Additionally, the proposed MSI can offer a reliable and practical tool for measuring passenger satisfaction with railway services.