On-Train Experience

Urban rail systems within some Australian urban rail networks rely heavily upon legacy systems that are outdated compared with rolling stock appointments in other cities. A range of new infrastructure projects (such as Cross River Rail in Brisbane) are creating new expectations and requirements for trains and rollingstock to meet evolving service patterns. As technologies evolve (e.g., wi-fi access), commuters will seek transportation modes that can meet their expectations and increasingly higher standards. The cost of upgrading legacy systems and current infrastructure will put pressure on fare structures, which will also serve to reduce customer satisfaction. Improving customer experience ontrain may assist in retaining market share and attracting new customers, but it is also important to determine whether there is a willingness to pay for better service/experience so as to obviate rising operational costs (and the move to reduce state govt subsidies).

Improving our understanding of customer satisfaction may require examination of issues such as the best use of carriage space and whether different types of carriages should be used at different times of day. The project will consider how perceptions of safety and value-for-money can be improved as well as the degree to which customer satisfaction is influenced by factors such as the availability and method of delivery of information about delays.

The project will assess the current state of knowledge regarding the quality of customers’ on-train experience. Areas of strategic research must be identified in order to target critical issues related to the quality of customers’ on-train experience. Customers’ willingness to pay can be associated with their experience and expectations of comfort, safety and convenience. Therefore, maximising the quality of on-train experience is essential in order to make urban rail travel more appealing to commuters and for rail systems to remain relevant into the future.