Railway service quality in Thailand: comparing urban and rural perceptions using dual assessment

Thailand’s inter-city railway system faces significant challenges in providing consistent service quality across urban and rural areas, leading to disparities in user satisfaction and accessibility. This study examines urban–rural disparities in service quality perception, focusing on accessibility, safety, and cost factors through an innovative dual assessment approach incorporating both positive perception items and negative attitude-toward-problems items. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 1,252 railway users (677 urban, 575 rural) across 33 stations in Thailand’s four main regions using stratified random sampling. Structural Equation Modeling with multi-group analysis was employed, with measurement invariance testing ensuring comparable models across geographical contexts. Results reveal that cost-related issues have the strongest negative influence on service quality perception in urban areas (β = –0.329), while accessibility is the primary concern for rural users (β = –0.386). Safety concerns demonstrate consistent negative influence across both contexts (β = –0.172 for urban; β = –0.181 for rural), indicating universal importance regardless of location. The findings provide actionable insights for differentiated policy interventions targeting the distinct priorities of urban and rural railway users in Thailand.