The valuation of arrival and departure delays in the UK passenger rail using satisfaction survey data

Abstract

Stated preference surveys are typically used to derive reliability multipliers, defined as a tradeoff between a minute of lateness and scheduled journey time. In this study, travel satisfaction data from the National Rail Passenger Survey in the United Kingdom is used to estimate the impact of scheduled journey length and delays on passenger satisfaction. An ordered logit model with OD fixed effects is estimated and reliability multipliers are subsequently derived. The estimated values are slightly larger than previously suggested, ranging from 4 to 9 for arrival delay and 2 to 6 for departure delay. The study offers some degree of novelty in terms of the type of data used in the estimation process. As a result, some caution is needed in using and interpreting the estimated multipliers. On the other hand, this study highlights the potential that satisfaction surveys may have in transport economics.