CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION AND DESIGN OF THE STUDY

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1.1 INTRODUCTION

Indian Railway is lifeline of the nation, founded in April 16, 1853, 164 years
ago. The headquarters is in New Delhi. Some services provided by Indian Railway are
freight services, parcel carrier and catering, tourism services and other related services
owned by Government of India. Indian Railway is the largest rail network in Asia and
the world's second largest under one management. It is a multi-gauge, multi-traction
system covering 115,000 kilometers, with 7500 stations as on December 2012 across
the length and breadth of the country. It transported over 25 million passengers daily.
It is the largest employer in the organized sector in India, with a workforce of 1.3
million. For administrative purposes, Indian Railways is divided into 17 zones.

Indian Railway Passenger services, in today’s world find themselves in an

environment that is focused on understanding the role and importance of service
quality. Not oblivious to the need for adaptation to serve the interests of the
passengers, in terms of greater responsiveness, responsibility, accountability and
increased expectations, the Indian Railway Passenger services are being pressurized
to shift their focus from quantitative expansion, to an emphasis on quality.
Measurement of a complex concept makes it necessary to design appropriate
instruments, which involves the concept, the identification and the operation of
relevant dimensions of the concept, the development of batteries of valid
questionnaire items to measure each of the dimensions and the assignment of
appropriate weights for each dimension. In response to growing concerns from
passengers about poor or inconsistent quality, the Indian Railways are increasingly
realizing the significance of passenger centered philosophies and thereby, seeking
ways to improve and provide better passenger service. To measure and evaluate the
quality of service for improvement, the only way is to find out the level of
satisfaction thepassengers derive from the services.

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1.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY

The Indian Railway must know what the passenger expects and to know what
extent their expectations are fulfilled. Understanding passenger needs and behavior is
not an option but it is an absolute necessity for competitive survival. The main
problem with regard to assessing the quality of transport service quality is that it is
composed of several utilities. It is not possible to evaluate and measure the quality as
single unit since it is a bundle of benefits. Main factors to be compared especially
when competing modes are involved are travel cost, convenience, comfort,
dependability travel time and safety. Since satisfaction is a function of expected
performance and actual performance, market research would reveal what the users of
railway passengers expect and satisfaction derived there from. By researching
passenger needs and behaviors, and by asking passengers’ it will be known about the
system and the ways and means to serve better their needs. Hence the researcher has
made an attempt to analyse the passengers satisfaction towards railway services with
reference to Madurai division.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Indian Railway provides the most energy efficient and economical mode of
transportation in India. Now days peoples are mostly to prefer the rail transport but, in
spite of this, Indian Railway lost its market share in Freight and Passenger segment
due to lack of customer responsiveness and poor public perception Passenger service.
The passengers expect a lot services from the Indian Railways but the railway
providing few of the service in good quality and many of its service not good. When
the Indian Railway is not full fill the passenger expectation, the passengers are
immediately switch over to another mode of transportation services. So Indian railway
to go down passenger business earning, in recent year the railway freight services
only to contribute major role in Railway earnings. The railway passenger earnings
were not good in past few years onwards. Indian railway is to improve their service in
world class, because the passenger expectation more services from service providers.
With the quickening pace of modernization, the Railway passengers today expect
much more from the system than the railways did in the past in the form of amenities.
The provision of passenger amenities is, therefore, one of the

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important objectives of the Indian Railways both as a business ethic and as a social
obligation. The Indian Railways has issued a Citizens’ Charter on Passenger services
in which, it has been pledged to ensure adequate passenger amenities in trains and at
Railway stations. One of the thrust areas in the VIII Plan was to provide basic
passenger amenities at all stations on a priority basis. The introduction of economic
liberalization in July 1991 threw a major challenge before the Indian Railways. As a
result, it took several measures to modernize the rolling stock, tractions and
coaches. Steam locos were phased out altogether. Besides, it entered into joint
venture with State Governments to give a fillip to various railway projects, both urban
and non-urban. Special emphasis was laid on customer care and user-friendly
services. The services offered by the Indian Railways need to be improved to satisfy
the passengers. Since, the customers prefer to travel by train; there is a very good
demand for the rail service. If the Indian Railways properly assess the problems and
inconveniences of the passengers and deliver the service according to their
expectation, it will be the most profitable public sector undertaking in India. Hence
the present study has made an attempt to analyse the passengers satisfaction towards
railway services in Madurai division.

So, the present study is undertaken to address the following problems:

Is there any gap between expectations and perception of the passengers about
various service qualities of railways? (Does the railway provide services to the
expectations of the customers?) and

Is the perceived present status of service qualities of railways providedup to

the satisfaction of the passengers in Madurai Division?

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To Explore the Theoretical Background of Indian Railways

2. To Analysis the Demographic Profile of the Respondent

3. To Measure the Level of Passengers Satisfaction in Railway Service

4. To summarize the findings and offer a suitable solution to improve the

passengers satisfaction towards Railway Service in Madurai Division

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1.5 HYPOTHESES

Ho – There is no significant relationship between service quality of therailway

and passenger satisfaction.

Ho - There is no significant relationship between customer satisfaction

towards service quality of railway service and passenger loyalty.

1.6 Passenger Satisfaction

Satisfaction is an overall effective response to a perceived discrepancy between

a prior expectation and a perceived performance after consumption. It can be defined as
the degree which one believes that an experience evokes positive feelings. Passenger
satisfaction is defined as a judgment made on the basis of a specific service encounter.
It is a very important concept in marketing and it is the ultimate goal for service
operations. Increasing the passenger satisfaction leads to improved profits, lower
marketing expenditures, and a positive word-of-mouth communication

1.7 METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a scientific and systematic way to solve research

problems. The research methodology deals with research methods and taken into
consideration the logic behind the methods. In total, the research methodology of the
study includes research design, sampling framework, data collection, framework of
analysis and limitations.

1.7.1 Research Design of the Study

Research design is the conceptual structure within which the research is

conducted. It is a blue print for the collection, management and analysis of the data.
The research design in the present study is descriptive in nature since it describes the
phenomena of passenger satisfaction. Apart from this, the present study has its own
objectives and pre-determined methodology. It is purely descriptive in nature.

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1.7.2 PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA

Madurai railway division is a railway division belonging to the Southern

Railways (SR), India. Officially created in 1856, it spans over 1,356 km (843 mi)
making it the largest railway division of the Southern Railways. Prior to the formation
of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division which was carved out of the division, it
was one of the largest railway divisions in the whole of the country. Currently it
covers up to 12 districts of Tamil Nadu and 1 in Kerala. Its headquarters is in
Madurai. Madurai is a major city and cultural headquarters in the state of Tamil Nadu
in southern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. Madurai is
the second largest corporation city by area and third largest city by population in Tamil
Nadu and the 31st largest urban agglomeration in India. Located on the banks of River
Vaigai, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and is one of the
oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Madurai is closely associated with the
Tamil language, as all three primary congregations of Tamil scholars, the Third Tamil
Sangams, were held in the city between 1780 BCE and the 3rd century CE. The
recorded history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by
Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to India, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan
emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links
dating back to 300BC are evident from excavations by Archeological Survey of India
in Manalur. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at
different times, by the Pandyas, Cholas, Madurai Sultanate, Vijayanagar
Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Carnatic kingdom, and the British. The city has a number of
historical monuments, with the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Tirumalai
Nayak Palace being the most prominent. Madurai is an important industrial and
educational hub in South Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile,
rubber, chemical and granite manufacturing industries. It has developed as a
second-tier city for information technology (IT), and some software companies have
opened offices in Madurai. Tamil Nadu government planned satellite town for Madurai
near Thoppur. Madurai has important government educational institutes like the
Madurai Medical College, Homeopathic Medical College, Madurai Law College,
Agricultural College and Research Institute. Madurai city is administered by a
municipal corporation established in 1971 as per the Municipal Corporation Act.

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Madurai is the second corporation in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai corporation. The city
covers an area of 242.97 km2 and had a population of 1,017,865 in 2011. The city is
also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court, one of only a few courts outside
the state capitals of India.

1.8 SAMPLING FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

The sampling framework of the study consists of determination ofsample

size and sampling procedure of the study.

1.8.1 Determination of Sample Size (For unknown population)

Sample size = 120

In this study, the researcher took 120 samples from the population1.

1.8.2 Sampling Procedure of the Study

The purposive sampling procedure has been adopted to selecting the

sample from the passengers in Madurai division. The total number of
questionnaires distributed in the self-administered survey was 150 sets.
Purposive sampling method is applied in this research for selecting the sample.
A form of non-probability sampling in which decisions concerning the
individuals to be included in the sample are taken by the researcher, based upon a
variety of criteria which may include specialist knowledge of the research issue,
capacity and willingness to participate in the research. Some types of research
design necessitate researchers taking a decision about the individual participants
who would be most likely to contribute appropriate data. Based on such
decision, the sample profiles have been chosen for the study. The number of
respondent samples as arrived at for the study. Pre-structured questionnaire
distributed among the passengers in Madurai division. As a result, 120 (filled
questionnaire) valid sets of questionnaires were available and then used for
further analysis using SPSS software version 21.

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1.8.3 Sources of Data

The present study is completely based on the primary data. The secondary
data collected from the books, journals, magazines and websites were used to
form the theoretical framework of the study and the review of literature. The
primary data was collected personally with the help of structured questionnaire.

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The present study is subjected with the following limitations:

 The present study includes the respondents who are in the Madurai Railway
division.

 The answers given by the passengers of railway service in Madurai Division

may be affected by the personal value judgment.

 The aspects of passenger satisfaction of railway service in Madurai division

have been measured with the help of the variables drawn from previous studies.

 All the descriptive variables are measured by likert five points scale.

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 .
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

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2.1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

A few studies had been made which were indirectly helpful to this research. Reviews
of such studies are presented below:

1) Pakdhane Apoorva (2010) India is well known for its low-cost quality
treatments, attracting tourist from all over the world. They get to see the world best
destinations in India located at different locations and with the enjoyment. They get
their treatment done with the best of doctors available in India. There are some
loopholes or challenges that the India healthcare industry faces. One of them is the
shortage of qualified specialist nurses, hospitals administrators and paramedics. To
match up to the expectations of the medical tourists is also one of the challenges,
because if someone comes expecting one type of environment and get something else
like heavy traffic, train cancellations, long way between the airport and the hospital
etc. it results in disappointment. We should pay attention and fix it to some other
problem.

2) Zope Shashank R. and Kulkarni Bhagyashree M (2010) the employees

are the interface of the organization and therefore they need to be trained and
motivated when they are interacting with the passenger just to be helpful and when
they are in need. The employees who are dealing with the customer should be
efficient and fast. When customer uses the service, he with the product also judges the
overall ambience of the organization and by interacting with the supplier. Railways
should deliver the services keeping in mind the expectations of the customer and the
dimensions of the customers would evaluate the services so that the assessment done
is positive.

3) Puja Kaura (2011) there is a need to start paying enough consideration for
enhancing the service and quality. The qualitative, quantitative and effective service
involves emotions and behavior of people, which demands a lot from the service
provider. The service provider thus are forced to cut the profit margins to give best
service.. Passenger surveys should be undertaken as well. Research would be helpful
to railways to know the demand of the customers and meeting these demands can
solve the issue. It will be helpful to find the reasons for passengers switching to other

10
mode of transport and why existing customers leave.

4) Ruskin Bond (2011) Indian railway is known for its passenger transport
and also commodity transport in volume, with this it also helps in connecting and
networking of all the big and small cities for all the necessary services of people when
they need it. The business and increased market share with volume movement because
of hub and spoke movement agreement. The tracking system helps in locating the
consignment and also the rakes real time have helped the owners to know and plan of
their goods while they are in supply chain and the advantage of electronic commerce
have further assisted customer with their billing, orders and making payments of the
consignment as an organized logistic organization. This infrastructure and technology
is the basic requirement of the transport company and a railway having such
technology is to keep and service their existing customer, to attract new customers,
and to regain the market share.

5) Gaurav Bhatia, Ajay Lala, Ashish Chaurasia (2012) Indian railway and
Information Technology are loosely bounded, and presently the use of IT is limited to
online checking of train schedule, booking and cancellation of tickets. The railways
need to adapt the technology so that the dependability on the people will reduce and
revenue will increase but surely, the railways will grow. Indian railway had begun
booking the reservation of passenger ticket through computer in early eighties, and
had to undergo the severe impact in the style of working of the people from cultural
perspective before the after the IT environment in the organization.

6) Sheeba. A. A and Dr. K. Kumuthadevi (2013) identify the factors that

determine passenger satisfaction in train with service quality of services provided by
the Indian Railways. The determinants that mostly affect thesatisfaction of passengers
(customers) in rank order is Basic facilities, Hygiene, Safety & Security, Catering,
Health Care Service, Punctuality, and lastly and the least important factor is Behavior
towards Passengers. The Indian Rail transportation is gaining importance day by day.
With the increase of passengers, the Indian Railways has focused to extend its
attention to satisfy the needs of customers and made initiatives to improve the quality
of service toenrich the satisfaction of customers.

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 7) Dr Bikramjit Singh Hundal and Vikas Kumar (2015) the customers are
becoming more demanding with the quality of the services and it is one of the
main factor which can make the northern Railways to be competitive. The Service
quality can be measured in terms of customer perception, customer expectation,
customer satisfaction, and customer attitude. Therefore, 5 main determinants of
Passenger Satisfaction on Service Quality have been taken into account for the
measurement of service quality . These determinants are further categorized into 22
statements.

8) J.Priyadharshini and M.Selladurai (2016) investigation study is able to

accomplish research objectives, by thoroughly analyzing and identifying competitive
position of railway strength and weakness among the passengers. Indian railways
should follow getting the periodical feedback from the passengers in their respective
trains at least three to six month once. The reservation systems and infrastructure
facilities in both trains and railway stations has to be improved. The railway staffs and
attendant or helper can appoint for each coach and improved security system towards
the passenger‟s expectations. Hence the human touch is more required as we compare
airlines services which we missing in Indian railway passenger services. In this
aspects further improve its performance in the satisfaction levels of the passengers
and occupy a leading position among the customer mind in everlastingly.

9) Dr. Kalaiselvi et al., (2017) 70 identify the factors that determine passenger
satisfaction in rail with service and quality of services provided by the Southern
Railways. The Indian Rail transportation is gaining importance day by day. With the
increase of passengers, the Indian Railways has focused to extend its attention to
satisfy the needs of passengers and made initiatives to improve the quality of service
to enrich the satisfaction of passengers. Even though repeated attempt made by the
Railways to improve the quality of services, the result would not satisfied the
passenger‟s needs. It reveals that, continuous, comprehensive, lengthy intentional
performance and attempts are essential to solve these problems. Accordingly, the
research gives some insights to develop and improve the quality of services to satisfy
the passengersin rail.

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Reference:
1. Pakdhane Apoorva (2010) Medical Tourism: A Promising Economic Avenue
in the Face of the Augmented Global Competitiveness, Nurturing Service
Industry for Economic Development.
2. Zope Shashank R. and Kulkarni Bhagyashree M, (2010), Contribution of
Front Line Service Sector Towards Economic Growth of India, Nurturing
Service Industry for Economic Development.
3. Ruskin Bond (2011), Penguin Book of Indian Railways Stories –Published by –
Penguin Books India.
4. Gaurav Bhatia, Ajay Lala, Ashish Chaurasia (2012), Implementation of Cloud
Computing Technology in Indian Railway, International Conference on Information
and Network Technology, IPCSIT vol. 37.
5. Sheeba. A. A and Dr. K. Kumuthadevi (2013), Service Quality of South Indian
Railway-Determinants of Passenger Satisfaction in Trains, Vol. 2 Iss. 2, pp.49 – 54.
6. Dr Bikramjit Singh Hundal and Vikas Kumar (2015), Assessing the Service Quality
of Northern Railway by using SERVQUAL Model, Vol. 8 Iss. 2, pp.82 – 88.
7. J.Priyadharshini and M.Selladurai (2016), Service Quality and Passengers
Satisfaction of Southern Railways by ServQual Model, Vol. 3 Iss. 6, pp.3 – 6.
8. Dr. Kalaiselvi et al., (2017), Passengers Satisfaction towards Railway Services with
reference to Coimbatore Junction, Vol. 7 Iss. 10, pp.16328 – 16330.

13
 CHAPTER III
INDIAN RAILWAYS - A SERVICE ORGANIZATION

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 3.1 INTRODUCTION

A service industry is an ever-changing one and it affects the customers depending

on their behavior and lifestyle. Indian railways must focus on customer’s requirement and
try to meet their expectation. The services delivered generates variation in customer’s
requirement, expectation, and gap if identified, irrespective of how it is created, will
showcase the level of the service from customers’ perception. The customer is always
looking for quality in service. Demand in service quality increases the cost of the service.
The Indian railways passengers are more concerned about the services they receive and
will not be happy with deprivation of quality as well the quantity.

Every organization must work for competitive advantage and for

maximization of profit, but Indian railways must also focus on the quality of service it
delivers to its passengers. There are various parameters that can be relied upon for this
purpose. Usually it is found that reliability is the most important aspect of service
quality perceptions. It can contribute more than fifty percent of the other service
qualities put together. It counts for the maximum achievement when the customer
uses railways services which are compared with those of the best competitors and
tourist industry leaders. It also paves way for improving the performance and
transaction of fresh ideas and a better understanding of the consumer perception.
Indian railways can break each of the services into its components and tryto improve
upon them, keeping in mind the competitors’ activities and requirement. Railway
must try to understand customers’ experiences and ways of how a customer can be
made tobe loyal to the service.

The Indian railway should be aware of all the factors that influence perceptions to
achieve the intend of giving better quality of service to itscustomers. The service quality is
a very significant element of sustainable competitiveness for satisfactory customer
relationship which ultimately leads to growth of the organization as well as maximization
of profit. Of course, product differentiation is of great help here. The organization which
shows great care for its customers should try and create an excellent system design with
effective use of information technology and which can give the railways a lot of
information about the customer Which will lead to providing superior quality of service.
Customer compares his/her expected service with which is delivered by the supplier. He

15
compares the expected service with its performance. In other words, the concept of
service is a gap of performance and the expectation and used to measure the customer’s
attitude towards the service or about his perception towards the service.

3.2 Competition Strategy, Quality and Profits

For Indian railways due to the competition from the other transport services need to
improve service quality, as it is critical to retain passengers where loyalty is necessarily a
long-term feature. The way the service quality is perceived globally with a judgment or the
attitude towards it, is a multi- dimensional concept, the evaluations based on these is
closely related to positive behavior intentions of the customers. Positive scores are
considered good and negative scores are worrying. Retaining the present and potential
passengers is important for railways survival which is possible only if the traveler receives
a pleasurable fulfillment and gives cognitive and effective evaluations to the existing
services. In recent years railways are leaning towards improved service quality levels that
can maximize consumer satisfaction, loyalty and repeat travelers. The attitudinal loyalty of
customers and their satisfaction can be won in the long run by service quality which if
properly measured or assessed would give a new idea of success in this age of
globalization and liberalization in which all over the world railways is trying to build its
best tourist train.

3.3 Ignoring Service to Indian Railways

India being developing country there are various demand from all the parts and
corners of the country for improving healthcare services for the patients, better education
for children, law and order in the society, safety of women’s, agricultural produce, national
safety and many more issues. To meet the demand for such issues by the financial aspects
to run the societal functionsis very high, in such situation the government also need to take
care of the railways operating cost and as well new development required for railways, but
railways funds are neglected and been used for other sectors and therefore there is a
concern area, were customers are not getting improved quality services. The burden of
finance to all the concern areas and withdrawal of financial support of railways has led to
weakening of existing track condition, the bridges, the signaling systems and the rolling
stock. This also results in breakdown of equipment’s and reducing the speed of the trains
on such tracks and bridges further get the hit from the market.
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 3.4 Rendering Services as Importance

These services are most basic and are most important during the journey, let
that person be travelling in high speed train like Rajdhani, Satabdi, Duronto or in the
passenger train, will always indulge in the requirement of this following services. The
Indian railways always worked out multiple models to provide such services and
reach to the common passenger with best of the services.

Refreshments

The allotment of the vendor on the railway premises for providing food and
beverages is excellent and an important aspect of servicing the passengers in a better way
to satisfy this passenger during their journey. Railways from those vendors look for
revenue generation which can be used for further development of railways and its
premises, the most important aspects that thesevendors should maintain hygiene.

Behavioral factors

The Overall behavior pattern of all employees concerning with the customer need
to be changed or looked over. Most of the services outside station are outsourced, but their
behavior will impact customer satisfaction and if it happens from a railway employee then
it’s a worst encounter, and hence will behavioral is most important to customer
satisfaction.

Other facilities

The provision of place to sit and required number of fans, coolers and illumination
during night on platform. These are called as basic facilities and are available to the
travelling passenger on the stations, but no proper maintenance is available to them, the
seats are broken, the water cooler space have become spittoons with water dripping away
and no cold-water supply. Therefore, this need is to be provided to the passenger to satisfy
him but proper check of maintaining them is very necessary, as this basic facility is also
important to customer.

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 3.5 Passengers security and Safety

The passenger and his belongings is the responsibility of railways during his
journey. The railways police are there to monitor the problem pertaining to safety and
security of passengers, but this security is neglected and there is no fear in the
defaulters. If these defaulters are well punished and fined they will not repeat the
action again as safety and security.

3.6 The role of governments

In this improved business and globalization, individual lifestyle can allow him to
change the mode of public transport, but for this there is a need to have city with good
infrastructure. People currently using the transportation which is public, just because of
lack of infrastructure and congestion on road, it is the role of government to improve on
building efficient infrastructure and have better services of transport. By having such
development in the city, the government would help in reducing emission and increasing
economic benefit to all the mode of transport.

3.7 Growth of Railways

Roadways and shipping company’s business will expand with the growth of
economy of the nation, but the business and growth of railways is dependable on the
location and expansion of mining and their output. It is also important from the
perspective of taking care of the environment, the transport companies emit carbon
which is dangerous and railways using electricity so as the impact on environment is
very low, with comparison to airline and shipping emission is slightly less. Therefore,
the business of roadways and its activities are dropping and the activities of the
railways transportation is increasing. This is the best indication for the future of
railways as the business is getting shifted from roadways to railways in RORO
services.

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3.8 Railway Budget

 The budget was offered high on promises to improve customer experience and
put the world’s fourth largest railway network on the track to financial
recovery, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says that Expenditure: The
total revenue expenditure by Railways for 2022-23 is projected to be Rs
2,34,640 crore, an increase of 17% over revised estimates of 2021-22. In
2021-22, revenue expenditure is estimated to be 5% lower than the budget
estimate.

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday allocated Rs 2.40 lakh

crore for the Railways for 2023-24. The outlay is Rs 1 lakh crore more than
the Rs 1.40 lakh crore allocated to the Railways last fiscal. Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday allocated Rs 2.40 lakh crore for the
Railways for 2023-24

3.9 PASSENGER SATISFACTION

In Indian railways service starts with passenger service. Railways need to

drive the service process and define the quality themselves servicing the customer is
part of their job and will allow organization to grow, with this service to offer to the
customer, railways will then have lot many opportunities to explore and can also
gain their lost market share. Higher levels of service can be created for passengers
who will become loyal and improve long term relationship with Indian railways.
From many organizations, only those improve the services, which are committed and
engaged and want substantial return from their services provided to the customer. It is
the beauty of the organization to identify those customers who are potential and the
one who can respond to the quality provided to them in the services to meet their
satisfaction level. Passenger satisfaction is defined in which his needs and what he
wants and his expectations are through the journey are met and fulfilled with best
services, this will result in repeat travelling, becoming more loyal of Indian railways
and talk in favor of railways and spread good word of mouth. Railways should use
evaluation techniques and provide incentive to the deserve employees who contribute
in understanding the need of the customer during their journey and take the ownership
of solving them supporting both the railways as well the passenger. The process of
19
handling customer complaint must be very well approachable so that it can give
results oriented example and feel the respect for the organization and increase their
frequency of traveling byrail and them maintaining the database of such customers.

Passenger is pleased when the expectations are exceeding by the service

delivery and these expectations can be met either way by complimenting the existing
service which was provided to him as best in the industry and by a positive
performance which he will remember in his life. Indian railways need to find out what
makes its passenger turn off or may disapprove the services of railways though the
needs and expectations of the customers are always changing with time and situation.
All the organization in the world knows that it is impossible to meet the requirement
of the customers because of his requirement perception changing all the time
and for thesereason research institute are working to find and measure the customers
perception so that value service can be provided. But it should not happen that the
customer set standards which are so high which can be very difficult for an
organization to deliver and manage these services.

The passenger when availing a journey his requirement and the factors
affecting his journey need to be found, from various sources which are available
today in the information technological world and these factors according to their
level of satisfying the customer should be implemented. If the expectations of the
customer are raised and a railways performance remains unchanged, then their overall
satisfaction level will decline. Passenger surveys should be undertaken some research
work as well would be of assisting railways to know the current demand of the
customer and trying to meet this demand can get half things already done and it will
be helpful to find the reasons about the passengers switching to other mode of
transport and why existing customers are defected and leave. With the time the
organizations could have built a database will have reasonable accuracy to estimate its
customer of value. Railways staff varies in their capability to handle passengers,
the railways management should not take for granted that the service process which
can satisfy the customer shall be applicable to other service process as well. They are
supposed to be identifying the factors which are important and servicing the
passengers with a tailor-made process to all the existing and new customers.

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 3.10 Employee Satisfaction

If self-satisfied employee is happy of what he is doing, will be able to drive

customer satisfaction and customer will intentionally continue to use services, and the
motivational level being high and satisfied, these employees will reflect positive energy in
the relationship with the customer. Employees are an important asset of a company which
is into service delivery, and would care about the customer is the culture of that
organization. It is the behavior of the employee towards the passenger will make his status
clear about how he feels in the work environment and will deliver accordingly, which is
what the contribution of employee is to the firm. The employee of railways should also be
highly motivated in their work. Any employee who thinks he is in wrong place should be
identified and given the job which suits that very employee. The right employee will do
justice to self and for the passenger of Indian railways. Even the selection process should
adopt this tools and techniques.

3.11 Satisfaction and Loyalty of Customer

The need generated by the customers is been fulfilled by providing the services and
if this service exceeds his expectation and the overall service provided is positive then the
customer is supposed to be satisfied. For a passenger to be satisfied with the overall travel
experience, it needs to be either positive or somewhat neutral with regards to the services
offered. It is also nota guaranty that the satisfied passenger will retain with existing service
provider, but a loyal passenger will retain. For the passenger to be loyal with the service
provider the services need to exceed beyond his expectations, and then he will share about
his travel experience with others. The loyalty of the passenger is earned with delivering
high quality of service all the time and it can be found simply by maximizing turnover of
the organization.A loyal customer who regularly repeats travelling in railways in the same
or other corridor service lines, and experiences the level of protection he deserves from
railways, and if the provided services and attention during the journey make him happy, he
willrefer it to others. The railways need to target these potential customers and should work
on parameter to meet customer satisfaction, retention, and profitability. When the service is
delivered to the passenger and value by which it is provided it is reflected on satisfaction
level of the customers, profit to the organization and customer’s loyalty.

21
 3.12 Service Satisfaction and Loyalty

Railways should document all service encounters with the passengers during his
journey, so when those tailor-made service is delivered to the customer, his behavior would
be positive, and will make him eager and will repeat travelling to that destination, and
services enjoyed by him will be recommending to others.Indian railway passenger when
travels in railways he goes through a travel cycle, which consists of services, initial travel,
then post travel evaluation, and then repeat travel would be one of the possibility which
would be one additional railway passenger. In the service organization if there is a need for
building loyal customers, then the delivered services need to be of high quality affection
towards railway with compared to another potential alternative. To understand more on
loyalty the further categorizing and they arenot loyal, the other is latent loyalty and the other
one is inertia loyalty and the forth one is premium loyalty.

3.13 Need to change for Indian Railways

There is a convincing need for Indian railways to change, so that they can survive by
changing the obsolete equipment, systems and by changing behavior pattern of the
employees. The government, the employees of railways and the passengers who are the
stake holders and would want to see railways asnot a profit-making organization, but the
revenue of railways must be used for the railways development process. The change in a
system, culture, leadership and industrial relations not a drastic change is required but a
gradual change will necessarily bring change in these areas. The intention is to infuse
quality service and getting the change in the railways.

3.14 Safety Due to Fog

The northern region of India during winter is very foggy and due to this condition,
the Indian railways have incurred heavy losses, in last 3 years railways has lost in access of
one lakh crore due to cancellations of trains, heavy delay in running trains and accidents
occurring due to foggy conditions. Additionally, many people have lost their lives in these
mishaps, which have tagged the Indian railways as unsafe and untrustworthy mode of
transport. The Indian railways a remarkable case in point of successfully government runs
enterprise not only in India but also for the whole world. The stand of government for
enchanting back foot policy of cancelling and delaying trains which has worsened the
disaster. To make the operation normal of Indian railways even in dense fog and in zero-
visibility condition, an innovative and dynamic tool in the hands of railways.

22
 The dynamic tool is Zero-Visibility Navigation which is based on using
different aspects such as laser signaling systems, radio frequency signaling systems,
embedded systems, digital communication systems as well as visual graphics and
animation systems. A well deliberate system based on most advantageous utilization
with all above technology. To implement this system in railways, there is a need to do
survey of a rail route and will compile a full and detailed information and store the
relative positions of all the important landmarks, such as, all the intermediate signals
and stations, warning signs, important signs, symbol boards, speed limit boards,
information about forthcoming bridges, tunnel, trench, elevation, angle turning, level-
crossing etc.when the train is in movement.

3.15 Handling a Customer Complaint

Railways or any organization should always look for that is your employees turning
customers away. It is necessary for them to know, that the passenger is a king and therefore
it becomes important to them to let more of such customers pour in by solving their issues.
All the business houses treat the customer as a king and he is being always right even if he
is wrong. For railways it may not matter if one customer is dissatisfying because there is
still mass of people dependable on railways for long journey. If they happen to be giving
same treatment to all the passengers and in long run if passengers are given a choice they
will take alternate route and or mode of transport. To make the passengers ease always
listens to the passenger to find out the problem area, so that you systematically solve their
problem. After understanding the problem, assure the customer that the concern problem
will be solved as the employees becomes empathetically involve with the situation. There
are various ways in which the problem can be addressed. It is required think of the best
possible option which the employee is most comfortable rather than denying the solution to
the customer and assuring him his comfort zone.

23
 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

24
4.1 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS

Gender wise classification of respondents

In this study Gender is classified into two, male and female. Studying the
passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Gender is required for this
study. The distribution of respondents on the basis of Gender is shown in the table
below.

Table 4.1
Gender wise classification of respondents

Gender Frequency Percent

Male 80 66.7

Female 40 33.3

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.1
Gender wise classification of respondents

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Below 30 31 to 40 Above 40

From the above table it can be seen that 66.7% of respondents are male and
33.3% of respondents are female. This indicates that majority of the respondents are
male.

25
Age wise classification of respondents

In this study Age is classified into three, below 30, 31 to 40 and above 40. Studying
the passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Ageis essential for this study.
The distribution of respondents on the basis of Age is shown in the table below.

Table 4.2
Age wise classification of respondents

Age Frequency Percent

Below 30 60 50 %

31 to 40 37 30.8%

Above 40 23 19.2%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.2
Age wise classification of respondents

70

60

50

40
Frequency
30 Percent

20

10

0
Below 30 31 to 40 Above 40

From the above table it can be seen that 50 % of respondents are below 30,
30.8% of respondents are 31 to 40 and 19.2 % of respondents are above 40. This
indicates that majority of the respondents are Below 30 years old.

26
Marital Status wise classification of respondents

In this study Marital Status is classified into two, married and unmarried.
Studying the passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Marital
Status is important for this study.
The distribution of respondents on the basis of Marital Status is shown in the
table below.
Table 4.3
Marital Status wise classification of respondents

Marital Status Frequency Percent

Married 45 37.5 %

Unmarried 75 62.5%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.3
Marital Status wise classification of respondents

70

60

50

40
Frequency
30 Percent

20

10

0
Below 30 31 to 40 Above 40

From the above table it can be seen that 37.5 % of respondents are married and
62.5% of respondents are unmarried. This indicates that majority of the respondents
are Unmarried.

27
Occupation wise classification of respondents

In this study Occupation is classified into six, Professional, Student, Manager

/ Administrator, Technician / Engineer, Business Person and Proprietor. Studying the
passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Occupation is required
for this study.The distribution of respondents on the basis of Occupation is shown in
the table below.
Table 4.4
Occupation wise classification of respondents

Occupation Frequency Percent

Professional 20 16 %

Student 60 50 %

Manager / Administrator 10 8.4 %

Technician / Engineer 10 8.4%

Business Person 10 8.4%

Proprietor 10 8.4%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.4
Occupation wise classification of respondents

140
120
100
80
60
40
20 Frequency
0 Percent

From the above table it can be seen that 16% of respondents are professional,
50% of respondents are student, 8.4% of respondents are manager/ Administrator,
8.4% of respondents are technician/ Engineer, 8.4% of respondents are business
person and 8.4% of respondents are proprietor. This indicates that majority of the
respondents are Student.
28
Monthly Income wise classification of respondents
In this study Monthly Income is classified into four, Below Rs.10000,
Rs.10001 to 20000, Rs.20001 to 30000 and Above Rs.30000. Studying the
passengers satisfaction towards railway service with reference to Madurai division
based on Monthly Income is essential for this study.

The distribution of respondents on the basis of Monthly Income is shown in

the table below.
Table 4.5
Monthly Income wise classification of respondents

Monthly Income Frequency Percent

Below Rs.10000 60 50%

Rs.10001 to 20000 30 25%

Rs.20001 to 30000 20 16.7%

Above Rs.30000 10 8.3%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.5
Monthly Income wise classification of respondents

120
100
80
60
40
20
0 Frequency
Percent
Frequency Percent

From the above table it can be seen that 50% of respondents are Below
Rs.10000, 25% of respondents are Rs.10001 to 20000, 16.7% of respondents are
Rs.20001 to 30000 and 8.3% of respondents are Above Rs.30000. This indicates that
majority of the respondents are Below Rs.10,000/-
29
Educational Qualification wise classification of respondents

In this study Educational Qualification is classified into four, Under Graduate,

Post Graduate, Others and No Formal Education. Studying the passengers‟
satisfaction towards railway service based on Educational Qualification is required
for this study. The distribution of respondents on the basis of Educational
Qualificationis shown in the table below.

Table 4.6
Educational Qualification wise classification of respondents

Educational
Frequency Percent
Qualification

Under Graduate 50 42%

Post Graduate 25 20%

Others 40 33%

No Formal Education 5 5%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.6
Education wise classification of respondents
250

200

150

100 Educational Qualification

Percent
50
Educational Qualification
0 Frequency

From the above table it can be seen that 42% of respondents are under
graduate, 20% of respondents are post graduate, 33% of respondents are others and
5% of respondents are no formal education. This indicates that majority of the
respondents are Under graduate.
30
Family Size wise classification of respondents

In this study Family Size is classified into three, Below 3, 3 to 6 and Above 6.
Studying the passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Family Size
is required for this study. The distribution of respondents on the basis of Family Size
is shown in the table below.

Table 4.7
Family Size wise classification of respondents

Family Size Frequency Percent

Below 3 60 50%

3 to 6 30 25%

Above 6 30 25%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.7
Family Size wise classification of respondents

250

200

150
Percent

100 Frequency

50

0
Below 3 3 to 6 Above 6 Total

From the above table it can be seen that 50% of respondents are below
3, 25% of respondents are 3 to 6 and 25% of respondents are above 6. This indicates
that majority of the respondents are Below 3.

31
Type of Family wise classification of respondents

In this study Type of Family is classified into two, joint and nuclear. Studying
the passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service based on Type of Family is
required for this study.

The distribution of respondents on the basis of Type of Family is shown in the

table below.

Table 4.8
Type of Family wise classification of respondents

Type of Family Frequency Percent

Joint 20 17%

Nuclear 100 83%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.8
Type of Family wise classification of respondents

250

200

150 Percent
Frequency
100

50

0
Joint Nuclear Total

From the above table it can be seen that 17% of respondents are joint and 83% of
respondents are nuclear. This indicates that majority of the respondents are Nuclear.

32
Purpose of Travel wise classification of respondents

In this study Purpose of Travel is classified into four, Work, Education,

Business and Others. Studying the passengers‟ satisfaction towards railway service
based on Purpose of Travel is essential for this study. The distribution of respondents
on the basis of Purpose of Travel is shown in the table below.

Table 4.9
Purpose of Travel wise classification of respondents

Purpose of Travel Frequency Percent

Work 50 42%

Education 40 33%

Business 16 13%

Others 14 12%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.9
Purpose of Travel wise classification of respondents

250

200

150

100

50

0
Work Education Business Others Total
Percent 42% 33% 13% 12% 100
Frequency 50 40 16 14 120

From the above table it can be seen that 42% of respondents are work, 33% of
respondents are education, 13% of respondent are business and 12% of respondents
are other. This indicates that majority of the respondents are work.

33
Often travel by train wise classification of respondents

In this study Often travel by train is classified into four, More than once a
week, More than once a month, Once in 3 months and Once in 6 months. Studying
the passengers satisfaction towards railway service with reference to Madurai
division based on Often travel by train is required for this study.

The distribution of respondents on the basis of Often travel by train is shown

in the table below.

Table 4.10
Often travel by train wise classification of respondents

Often travel by train Frequency Percent

More than once a week 15 12.5%

More than once a month 15 12.5%

Once in 3 months 70 58%

Once in 6 months 20 17%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.10
Often travel by train wise classification of respondents
250

200

150

100

50

0
More than More than Once in 3 Once in 6 Total
once a week once a month months months

Frequency Percent

From the above table it can be seen that 12.5% of respondents are more than
once a week, 12.5% of respondents are more than once a month, 58% of respondent
are once in 3 months and 17% of respondents are once in 6 months. This indicates that
majority of the respondents are once in 3 months.

34
PASSENGERS SATISFACTION:

Table 4.11
THE FREQUENCY OF TRAINS IN THE ROUTE

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 40 33%

Agree 30 25%

Neutral 30 25%

Disagree 20 17%

Strongly Disagree 0 0

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.11
THE FREQUENCY OF TRAINS IN THE ROUTE

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

120

100

40
30 30
20
33%
25%
25%
17% 0 0
Strongly Agree
agree Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Total
Disagree

From the table it is clear that 33% of the respondents Strongly agree that The Frequency
of Trains In The Route

35
 Table 4.12
PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 60 50%

Agree 20 17%

Neutral 15 12%

Disagree 10 9%

Strongly Disagree 15 12%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.12
PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

120

100

60

20
15 15
10
50% 17% 12% 9% 12%

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total

agree Disagree

From the table it is clear that 50% of the respondents Strongly agree that The Punctuality
of Trains

36
 Table 4.13
TICKET COST

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 20 17%

Agree 65 54%

Neutral 25 21%

Disagree 5 4%

Strongly Disagree 5 4%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.13
TICKET COST

120
120
100
100

80 65
60

40 25
20
20 5 5
17% 54% 21% 4% 4%
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 54% of the respondents Agree that The Ticket Cost

37
 Table 4.14
MEDICAL FACILITY IN THE TRAIN

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 30 25%

Agree 30 25%

Neutral 40 33%

Disagree 8 7%

Strongly Disagree 12 10%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.14
MEDICAL FACILITY IN THE TRAIN

120
120
100
100

80

60
40
40 30 30

8 12
20
25% 25% 33% 7% 10%
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 33% of the respondents Neutral that MEDICAL FACILITY
IN THE TRAIN

38
 Table 4.15
INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 40 33%

Agree 30 25%

Neutral 30 25%

Disagree 20 17%

Strongly Disagree 0 0

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.15
INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

120

100

40
30 30
20

33% 25% 25% 17% 0 0

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total

agree Disagree

From the table it is clear that 33% of the respondents Strongly agree that
INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

39
 Table 4.16
AVAILABILITY OF COACH ATTENDANT/HELPER IN THE TRAIN

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 60 50%

Agree 20 17%

Neutral 15 12%

Disagree 10 9%

Strongly Disagree 15 12%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.16
AVAILABILITY OF COACH ATTENDANT/HELPER IN THE TRAIN

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

120

100

60

20
15 15
10
50% 17% 12% 9% 12%

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total

agree Disagree

From the table it is clear that 50% of the respondents Strongly agree that
AVAILABILITY OF COACH ATTENDANT/HELPER IN THE TRAIN

40
 Table 4.17
ACCESSIBILITY OF RAILWAY STATIONS

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 30 25%

Agree 30 25%

Neutral 40 33%

Disagree 8 7%

Strongly Disagree 12 10%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.14
ACCESSIBILITY OF RAILWAY STATIONS

120
120
100
100

80

60
40
40 30 30

8 12
20
25% 25% 33% 7% 10%
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 33% of the respondents Neutral that ACCESSIBILITY OF
RAILWAY STATIONS

41
 Table 4.18
FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE RAILWAY STATION

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 45 38%

Agree 65 54%

Neutral 0 0

Disagree 10 8%

Strongly Disagree 0 0

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.18
FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE RAILWAY STATION

120
120
100
100

80 65
60 45
40

20 10
38% 54% 0 0 8% 0 0
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 54% of the respondents Agree that FACILITIES
AVAILABLE IN THE RAILWAY STATION

42
 Table 4.19
QUALITY OF SERVICES IN FOOD, BEDSHEETS, PILLOWS Etc., in the Train
Journey

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 30 26%

Agree 10 8%

Neutral 50 42%

Disagree 10 8%

Strongly Disagree 20 16%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.19
QUALITY OF SERVICES IN FOOD, BEDSHEETS, PILLOWS Etc., in the Train
Journey

120
120
100
100

80

60 50

40 30
20
20 10 10
26% 8% 42% 8% 16%
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 42% of the respondents Neutral that QUALITY OF
SERVICES IN FOOD, BEDSHEETS, PILLOWS Etc., in the Train Journey

43
 Table 4.20
MAINTENANCE AND CLEARLINESS OF TRAIN FACILITIES
(lights, fan, AC, Water, Restrooms)

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage (%)

Strongly agree 25 21%

Agree 25 21%

Neutral 60 50%

Disagree 8 6%

Strongly Disagree 2 2%

Total 120 100.0

Chart 4.20
MAINTENANCE AND CLEARLINESS OF TRAIN FACILITIES
(lights, fan, AC, Water, Restrooms)

120
120
100
100

80
60
60

40 25 25
20 8
21% 21% 50% 6% 2 2%
0
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total
agree Disagree

No of Respondents Percentage (%)

From the table it is clear that 50% of the respondents Neutral that MAINTENANCE
AND CLEARLINESS OF TRAIN FACILITIES (lights, fan, AC, Water, Restrooms)

44
 CHAPTER V
FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION

45
5.1 INTRODUCTION

The study focuses on passenger satisfaction towards railway service in Madurai

division. This is classified into four important parts. The first part discusses the Indian
railways as a service organization. The second part analyses the profile of the
respondents. The third part discusses the differences between demographic profile of
the respondents and service quality, passenger satisfaction and passenger loyalty. The
fourth part analyses the relationship between service quality, passenger satisfaction and
passenger loyalty.

The objectives of the present study are 1) To Explore the Theoretical

Background of Indian Railways. 2)To Analysis the Demographic Profile of the
Respondent. 3) To Measure the Level of Passengers Satisfaction in Railway Service 4)
To summarize the findings and offer a suitable solution to improve the passengers
satisfaction towards Railway Service in Madurai Division.

The study area is confined to Madurai division. For assessing the service
quality, passengers‟ satisfaction and passengers‟ loyalty towards railway service.

The present chapter discusses the summary of findings, suggestions, conclusion

and scope for future research.

46
5.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
i. 66.7% of respondents are male and 33.3% of respondents are female. This indicates
that majority of the respondents are male.
ii. 50 % of respondents are below30, 30.8% of respondents are 31 to 40 and 19.2 % of
respondents are above 40. This indicates that majority of the respondents are Below
30 years old.
iii. 37.5 % of respondents are married and 62.5% of respondents are unmarried.
This indicates that majorityof the respondents are Unmarried.
iv. 16% of respondents are professional, 50% of respondents are student, 8.4% of
respondents are manager/ Administrator, 8.4% of respondents are technician/
Engineer, 8.4% of respondents are business person and 8.4% of respondents are
proprietor. This indicates that majority of the respondents are Student.
v. 50% of respondents are Below Rs.10000, 25% of respondents are Rs.10001 to
20000, 16.7% of respondents are Rs.20001 to 30000 and 8.3% of respondents are
Above Rs.30000. This indicates that majority of the respondents are Below
Rs.10,000/-
vi. 42% of respondents are under graduate, 20% of respondents are post graduate, 33%
of respondents are others and 5% of respondents are no formal education. This
indicates that majority of the respondents are Under graduate.
vii. 50% of respondents are below 3, 25% of respondents are 3 to 6 and 25% of
respondents are above 6. This indicates that majority of the respondents are Below
3.
viii. 17% of respondents are joint and 83% of respondents are nuclear. This indicates
that majority of the respondents are Nuclear
ix. 42% of respondents are work, 33% of respondents are education, 13% of
respondent are business and 12% of respondents are other. This indicates that
majority of the respondents are work.
x. 12.5% of respondents are more than once a week, 12.5% of respondents are more
than once a month, 58% of respondent are once in 3 months and 17% of
respondents are once in 6 months. This indicates that majority of the respondents
are once in 3 months.

47
 5.3 Passenger Satisfaction:
xi. 33% of the respondents Strongly agree that The Frequency of Trains In The Route

xii. 50% of the respondents Strongly agree that The Punctuality of Trains

xiii. 54% of the respondents Agree that The Ticket Cost

xiv. 33% of the respondents Neutral that MEDICAL FACILITY IN THE TRAIN

xv. 33% of the respondents Strongly agree that INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS

CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

xvi. 50% of the respondents Strongly agree that AVAILABILITY OF COACH

ATTENDANT/HELPER IN THE TRAIN

xvii. 33% of the respondents Neutral that ACCESSIBILITY OF RAILWAY

STATIONS

xviii. 54% of the respondents Agree that FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE

RAILWAY STATION

xix. 42% of the respondents Neutral that QUALITY OF SERVICES IN FOOD,

BEDSHEETS, PILLOWS Etc., in the Train Journey

xx. 50% of the respondents Neutral that MAINTENANCE AND CLEARLINESS OF

TRAIN FACILITIES (lights, fan, AC, Water, Restrooms)

48
5.4 SUGGESTIONS:
1. Distribute the Ticketing Counters in various parts of the City so that everybody
need not to come to Railway Station for Ticketing. Post Offices of each area can
facilitate one counter for ticket booking.
2. Railways has to improve the cleanliness in the trains and at Stations. It is most
necessary to have Cleaning Services availability at all the stations. The time taken
to clean a coach and toilet shouldbe reduced to merely few minutes.
3. Increase the height of the Platforms.
4. All coaches should be fitted with an electronic screen which should display
information like train speed, upcoming station, probabletime to reach the station,
on which side platform will come and other convenience information about
the city and station. Someimportant announcements should be announced.
5. Improve and Upgrade the coupling system and suspensions of the rail coach for
smoother and silent ride.
6. Beautification of Railway Stations & Facilities.
7. Present design of coaches is not at all user-friendly for Physically Challenged,
Elderly and Children. Redesign the coaches for Physically Challenged, Elderly
and Children.
8. Distribute the Ticketing Counters in various parts of the City so that everybody
need not to come to Railway Station for Ticketing. This is easily possible because
of Network Connectivity. Post Office in the area can host a ticketing counter for
railways.
9. Increase number of coaches to start more trains. Existing Coach Manufacturing
Factories are running at full capacity. Private players can be asked to open Rail
Coach Manufacturing Units in various parts of the country.
10. All tracks should be upgraded to meet the requirement of High Speed Trains. A
separate corridor for Freight Trains / Goods Trains is already being built. It's
coverage should be increased.
11. The cost of poor quality is not only in terms of finance but also in terms of
reputation, safety and security. Create the scope of work with specifications as per
international best practices and do not deviate from the specifications.
12. Passenger Information System (PIS) should be provided at all stations. Introduce
WiFi Internet facility at all stations.

5.5 CONCLUSION
49
 Railway is the principal mode of transportation for fright and passengersin
India. Indian Railways has been a vital component of the social, political andeconomic
life of the country. Indian Railways transportation network has played a key role in
weaving India into a nation. This study has made anattempt to know the passenger
satisfaction towards railway service in Madurai division. The five dimensions of
railway service were used to measure the levelof passenger satisfaction and passenger
loyalty. The study concluded that the Indian railway should take following necessary
steps to improve the services inorder to satisfy and increase the passenger loyalty. They
are punctuality and re-scheduling of train, congestion at station, increase platform
length and width particularly of the old stations, cleanliness of trains, platforms and
station racksand toilets, availability of ticket on demand and security of passengers on
trainsand nuisance beggars. A public utility like the railways has to be judged not
merely on the bottom line, but on the quality of service it provides. Theunfortunate part
is even when the railways have claimed operational profits, its record on passenger
amenities was nothing to crow about. The railway has to revolve around the passenger.
The passenger must be seen as consumer with privileges and not as a captive user with
limited choices.

50
5.6 SCOPE FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Future research can be examined on a wider area extending to other divisions in

Tamilnadu. An extended research work can be followed to study the problems
encountered by railway passengers. The future study may also include the opinion and
suggestions of railway officials towards the services offered by Indian railways. The
secondary data can be included for analyzing the problems and complaints received by
the railways.

51
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52
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55
QUESTIONNAIRE

56
 A STUDY ON PASSENGERS SATISFACTION TOWARDS
RAILWAY SERVICE WITH REFERENCE TO MADURAI
DIVISION
PART-I

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

1. Gender

` Male Female

2. Age

Below 30 31 to 40 41 to 50

Above 50

3. Marital Status

Married Unmarried

4. Occupation

Professional Student

Manager / Administrator Technician/Engineer

Business Person Proprietor

5. Monthly Income

Below Rs.10000 Rs.10001 to 20000

Rs.20001 to 30000 Above Rs.30000

6. Educational Qualification

Under Graduate Post Graduate

Others No Formal Education

7. Family Size

Below 3 3 to 6 Above 6

57
8. Type of Family

Joint Nuclear

9. Purpose of travel
WORK EDUCATION BUSINESS OTHERS

10. How often do you travel by train?

More than once a week More than once a month

Once in 3 months Once in 6 months

58
 PART - II

PASSENGERS SATISFACTION

Rate the given statements at five point scale

(SA-Strongly agree, A-Agree, N-Neutral, DA-disagree, SDA-strongly

disagree)

Passengers Satisfaction SA A N DA SDA

The frequency of the trains in the route

Punctuality of trains

Ticket Cost

Medical facility in the train

Information when there is a change in
schedule
Availability of coach attendant / helper in
the train
Accessibility of railway stations
Facilities available in the railway station
Quality of service (bedsheets, pillows,
food) in the train
Maintenance and cleanliness of train
facilities (lights, fan, AC, water, rest
rooms)

59