Railqual and Passengers Satisfaction: An Empirical Study in Southern Railways

Abstract

This article identifies the attributes which passengers use to evaluate the service quality of Indian railways and develops a comprehensive instrument namely RAILQUAL. The linkage between Railqual and passengers’ satisfaction is also evaluated by the data collected from the passengers of Southern Railways. The important railqual factors identified by the passengers are reliability, assurance and empathy. The service offered by southern railways is up to the expectation of their passengers. The significantly and positively influencing railqual factors on the passenger's satisfaction and image of the Indian railways are its reliability and empathy. The intangible aspects of service performance of Indian railways have a strong direct and positive effect on the passenger's favourable attitude and image. This study would help the policymakers to monitor, control and improve their service at the international level. It can also be used as an evaluation tool for comparing the performance of Indian railways with reference to the passengers’ expectation.