ZSSK: Passenger Satisfaction with Rail Travel Up by 1.4 percent Last Year

Bratislava, March 8 (TASR) - Satisfaction among passengers who regularly use the trains of state-run passenger carrier ZSSK grew by 1.4 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) last year, reaching 64.8 points out of a possible 100 points in the overall satisfaction index, said ZSSK spokesman Dominik Drevicky earlier this week when presenting the results of a survey aimed at passenger satisfaction with the comfort, products, services and reliability of trains. "The survey on satisfaction showed that passengers appreciate improvements in comfort, reliability and the quality of services, thus confirming that we are on the right path towards modernising ZSSK. We monitor passenger feedback every year so that we can continuously improve our services and adapt them to their needs. We are pleased that investments in cleaner trains, better information and the latest technologies have met with positive feedback, but at the same time we're aware that there are still challenges ahead of us that we will work on intensively," said ZSSK general director Peter Helexa. The survey showed an increase in passenger satisfaction in the area of ​​comfort. According to ZSSK, passengers mainly praised the cleanliness of toilets and overall cleanliness of the carriages. They also liked the refreshments offered on long-distance trains. The biggest improvement was recorded in evaluations of products and services offered by ZSSK. E-services, such as mobile apps and online purchases of tickets were viewed the most positively. Satisfaction with connections to other trains and buses have continuously improved over the past year, growing by 3 percent. The reliability index also slightly increased. Customer satisfaction with train punctuality was at the same level as in 2023, with respondents viewing rail transport as a safe mode of transport. According to the survey, 25 percent of passengers would recommend travelling by ZSSK trains. However, some respondents would welcome improvements in train reliability, travel speed and cleanliness on trains. They didn't like the fares, either. "Despite some negative evaluations, more than half of passengers declared that they plan to travel by train as often as they have in the past, and 28 percent even plan to travel by train more often. Some 8 percent plan to travel by train less frequently or almost not at all," said ZSSK. The survey was carried out between January and December 2024 on a sample of 4,000 regular passengers aged over 16. ko/df/am