Abstract:
Traffic congestion had become a major problem due to dramatic growth of private vehicle
users. One way to decrease traffic congestion is through public transit. It offers a more
practical form of transportation and improves the economics of the nation. From various
public transport mode, rail transport is considered one of the most important transport
medium that can rectify this issue. The railway has shown to be a viable transportation
option that satisfies requirements for more effective and ecologically friendly means of
transportation. The quality of environment can be raised as environmental contamination
is decreased. It is crucial to assess which characteristics are more appealing to the various
types of transport customers, i.e., which aspects are more significant to determine service
quality, in order to promote the use of the railway and to raise its future demand. Studies
on service quality have emphasized the significance of taking into account users
perceptions and working to enhance the areas in which they are most interested in order
to generate demand for public transportation. A total of around 22 attributes were selected
including the transfer facilities. The study was conducted mainly at Kollam railway
station and two major neighbouring stations (Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station
and Alappuzha railway station). The data obtained from the study is analysed using
revised Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) from which the key intervention areas
are identified. The passenger level of service for some station facilities were taken into
consideration to identify the station capacity.
