The Customer satisfaction on the railway infrastructure in Sri Lanka: a study on railway stations

Abstract

Railway infrastructure is one of the core items of railway systems, which ensures the quality and efficiency of the service. As it appears, the railway infrastructure in Sri Lanka is not well maintained. This underperforming situation can lead to a considerable negative impact on the satisfaction of railway users. Hence, conducting an in-depth investigation on customer satisfaction in railway stations under railway infrastructure in Sri Lanka is a timely requirement. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the present customer satisfaction level at Sri Lankan railway stations. Specifically, this study focuses on improving customer satisfaction at railway stations based on the services and facilities provided. A comprehensive literature review has been conducted to review the railway infrastructure, Sri Lankan Railways (SLR), facilities and services provided by SLR, and factors that affect customer satisfaction. Further, data was collected through the distribution of a questionnaire survey among a sample of railway users. The quantitative research approach was undertaken to derive reliable outcomes with the support of RII analysis. As per the key findings, customer satisfaction on railway stations remains in a low to medium level based on several factors. The key issues recorded under the facilities and services of railway stations are delays in train arrival, uncleaned condition, and lack of data sharing.