More Comfort, Shorter Travel Time, or Low Fares?

Abstract

This paper, by controlling for other covariants, examines how the needs and preferences of transit users for more comfort, shorter travel times, or low fares vary across different trip purposes, such as education, work, holiday, leisure, business, and shopping. The fieldwork for this research effort was undertaken in central Switzerland on a scenic railway route. The logit modeling approach shows the following preliminary findings: Shorter travel times are most preferred by business travelers, followed by those traveling for educational and work purposes. Leisure and holiday travelers are more sensitive to low fares than to comfort. There is a strong age effect; for leisure travel elderly people tend to prefer comfort more than a low fare. Transport decision makers could balance system needs with customer expectations and incorporate these factors into transport and marketing planning.