An analysis of factors influencing perceived service quality of urban rail transit stations: A case study of commuters from Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus

Abstract

Urban rail transit stations serve as critical infrastructure supporting high passenger volumes. However, the quality of a station is not determined solely by its physical structure or operational systems, but also by the user experience across different stages of use. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing passengers' perceived quality of urban rail transit stations, using a case study of passengers from Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, who travel to the city center via Siam Station. The station usage process was divided into three stages: the journey to the station, the access to and use of the ticketing level, and the platform level. Data were collected from a sample of 200 passengers using a quantitative questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that four variables—number of travel modes, ticket payment method, ticket type, and means of accessing the platform level—were significantly associated with passengers' demographic characteristics. Although many passengers effectively managed their travel during the initial stag, a substantial proportion still had to transfer between multiple modes, which may affect long-term decisions to use rail transit. In the ticketing level stage, limitations were observed in convenience and process continuity. Additionally, the paths leading to the platform level were found to be poorly aligned with actual user behavior. These findings offer practical implications for improving station design and transit policies to better accommodate passengers’ needs and travel behaviors in urban contexts.