Narrowing the Rail–Bus Satisfaction Gap Through Real-Time Passenger Information

Romero, Carlos; Zamorano, Clara; Monzon, Andres

doi:10.3390/futuretransp6050220

Cited by 0Transportation Planning and OptimizationTransportation and Mobility Innovationstransportation and logistics systems

Narrowing the Rail–Bus Satisfaction Gap Through Real-Time Passenger Information

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Romero, Carlos, Zamorano, Clara, Monzon, Andres·2026·Future Transportation

DOI 10.3390/futuretransp6050220

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Abstract

In metropolitan areas, rail services are inherently perceived as more attractive than buses, a well-documented phenomenon known as the ‘psychological rail factor’. This paper examines whether the use of real-time information (RTI) relates to the satisfaction gap between metropolitan bus and suburban rail services in Madrid Region, drawing on two mode-specific surveys. We compare travel behavior, information source adoption, and service satisfaction across user groups defined by their information habits. Among online RTI users, the rail–bus satisfaction gap narrows from 0.53 to 0.30 points; this reduction is not significant at the 95% level, though the 90% interval comes close to excluding zero, suggesting a genuine effect. Confounder-adjusted models confirm the narrowing is driven by a significant decline in rail satisfaction among online users (b = −0.399, p < 0.001), not by improvement among bus users, whose association remains null. These results suggest official information quality, rather than mere availability, may shape rail satisfaction. Each mode also shows distinct information needs within the metropolitan transport network; tailoring information accordingly, and ensuring its quality, is critical to sustaining public transport attractiveness.

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Closing the ‘Rail Psychological Gap’: The Influence of Passenger Information to Create Synergies between Metropolitan Bus and Rail ServicesPreprint
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Authors: Romero, C., Zamorano, C., & Monzon, A.
Affiliations: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ES)
Department of Transport Engineering, Regional and Urban Planning, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Transport Research Center (TRANSyT), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Corresponding author: Romero, Carlos
ORCID: Romero, Carlos
Zamorano, Clara
Monzon, Andres
Venue: Future Transportation
Publisher: MDPI AG
Published: 2026-10-01
Volume: 6
Issue: 5
Pages: 220
ISSN: 2673-7590 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.3390/futuretransp6050220
OpenAlex: W7215066240
Semantic Scholar: ec8bd939f80128f918dc8666d12b68581ece21a0
Cited by: 0
References: 58
FWCI: 0.00
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (vor)
Locations: Future Transportation (publishedVersion, cc-by)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Transportation › Transportation Planning and Optimization
Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Transportation and Mobility Innovations
Social Sciences › Transportation › transportation and logistics systems
Keywords: real-time passenger information, public transport satisfaction, information quality, travel behavior, suburban rail, public transport attractiveness, Comunidad de Madrid

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Narrowing the Rail–Bus Satisfaction Gap Through Real-Time Passenger Information

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