SMOOTH OPERATORS: A recent Europe-wide report into passenger rail has been conducted by Actima Consulting & Services. While much has been achieved in enhancing the passenger experience

摘要

ALTHOUGH PRICE, timetables and overall travel time are important considerations when choosing to travel by tram, onboard comfort and services are possibly more important factors for passengers. Such aspects are especially important for those who travel often, have specific needs during the journey or may require special assistance when making a journey. It is therefore only natural that the providers of transportation have a deep-rooted interest in meeting passengers' expectations. In the past 150 years, the rail sector has been particularly successful in acquiring new customers or keeping existing customers happy by providing them with the utmost in comfort and services. The Orient Express in Europe or the 20th Century Limited in the USA are still synonymous with comfortable travel and a service that is second to none - comparable only to top-class hotels. However this does not necessarily mean that train operators have always been able to achieve a high profitability with such ventures. Growing competition from the private automobile and air travel has savagely cut into the rail passenger market since 1930. This has made it necessary for tram operators to not only provide a high standard of accommodation and services to their upscale clientele, but also offer decent comfort and price-conscious service packages to the economy traveller.