Journal article
Riding a mile in their shoes: Understanding Australian metropolitan rail passenger perceptions and experiences of crowdedness using mixed-methods research
Road and Transport Research, Vol.21(2), pp.46-59
2012
Abstract
Metrics such as passengers per square metre have been developed to define optimum or crowded rail passenger density. Whilst such metrics are important to operational procedures, service evaluation and reporting, they fail to fully capture and convey the ways in which passengers experience crowded situations. This paper reports findings from a two year study of rail passenger crowding in five Australian capital cities which involved a novel mixed-methodology including ethnography, focus groups and an online stated preference choice experiment. The resulting data address the following four fundamental research questions: 1) to what extent are Australian rail passengers concerned by crowding, 2) what conditions exacerbate feelings of crowdedness, 3) what conditions mitigate feelings of crowdedness, and 4) how can we usefully understand passengers' experiences of crowdedness? It concludes with some observations on the significance and implications of these findings for customer service provision. The findings outlined in this paper demonstrate that the experience of crowdedness (including its tolerance) cannot be understood in isolation from other customer services issues such as interior design, quality of environment, safety and public health concerns. It is hypothesised that tolerance of crowding will increase alongside improvements to overall customer service. This was the first comprehensive study of crowding in the Australian rail industry.
Details
- Title
- Riding a mile in their shoes: Understanding Australian metropolitan rail passenger perceptions and experiences of crowdedness using mixed-methods research
- Authors
- Kirrilly Thompson (Author) - Central Queensland UniversityLily Hirsch (Author) - Central Queensland UniversitySimone Mueller Loose (Author) - Aarhus UniversityVinathe Sharma-Brymer (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologySophia Rainbird (Author) - Central Queensland UniversityKirsteen Titchener (Author)Matthew Thomas (Author) - Central Queensland UniversityDrew Dawson (Author) - Central Queensland University
- Additional notes
- An earlier version of this paper was peer reviewed and presented at the 9th World Congress for Rail Research in Lille, France on the 23rd of May, 2011. It is published here without further peer review at the invitation of the Editor in order to place it on the accessible record and to make it available to a wider audience.
- Publication details
- Road and Transport Research, Vol.21(2), pp.46-59
- Publisher
- A R R B Group Ltd.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99622939302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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