Service Quality and Passengers’ Satisfaction in the Railway Transportation Service: A Case of Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AA-LRT)

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the current status of service quality and passengers satisfaction of light rail transit service in Addis Ababa from the point of view of passengers' expectations of the service quality and perceptions of the service delivered by AA-LRT. To achieve this objective, descriptive research design were used to analyze the data collected through questionnaire survey from a sample of 384 passengers of the two routes. These respondents were selected using convenient--judgmental sampling method and stations were selected using simple random sampling methods. The data collected through the questionnaire were analyzed using statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, gap analysis and spearman's correlation analysis with the help of SPSS v. 24 by applying modified SERVQUAL instrument for the railway service, RAILQUAL comparisons between passengers' expectations and perceptions of service were undertaken. The major finding of the study indicates, AA-LRT passengers’ perceptions of service quality delivered were lower than their expectations, the highest gaps were given by AA-LRT passengers towards the comfort, reliability, assurance and empathy attributes, whereas lowest gaps were given to tangibility and responsiveness and the overall passengers satisfaction levels towards the service delivered was slightly not satisfactory. The finding also reveals that positive and significant relationship between service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that AA-LRT needs to improve quality of services in all dimensions so as to satisfy customer’s needs and should focus to top rated attributes with their gaps size; frequency and punctuality of train, availability of shelters and seats at stations, individual attentions to pregnant women, children, old and handicapped peoples, suffocation due to overload and more stand passengers in train, informing passengers whenever there are delays, safety and security of passengers both at stations and on the train and ticketing system.