Assessing Passenger Comfort in Compartments of Long Distance Conventional Trains: A Case Study.

In developing countries where conventional trains are still in use, passengers endure lengthy hours on board. These passengers could opt for air travel, which offers a much shorter duration. Therefore, environmental factors significantly contribute to the overall comfort of passengers and the modal share of railways. In this cross-sectional research, a questionnaire has been developed to quantify passenger evaluations of factors such as light, temperature, noise, and vibrations. An 11-hour journey between Tehran, the capital of Iran, and the second major city is selected, along with two trains (five-star and four-star). Passengers responded to paper questionnaires, and 382 fully completed ones were collected and analyzed. Satisfaction from light was highest while thermal comfort was lowest. A statistically significant difference was observed between the comfort levels of passengers on the two trains. The results also indicated that certain personal or health conditions affect passenger feelings. For example, individuals suffering from low blood pressure tend to feel cold, or those who wear reading glasses are not satisfied with the illumination. Furthermore, older individuals are more sensitive to vibrations, but those traveling with their families are less sensitive to it. The findings of this research can assist in better compartment allocation for passengers and enhance overall passenger satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]