Perceptions of inter-city commuters toward high-speed rail and transfer services quality: An importance-performance analysis of the Suzhou-Shanghai corridor

To explore how inter-city commuters evaluate the quality of high-speed rail (HSR) services in the Suzhou–Shanghai corridor, this study highlights the importance of HSR for economic integration and mobility across cities, offering a fast, safe, and comfortable travel option. It underscores that HSR has emerged as a widely adopted commuting mode for many inter-city commuters, particularly those residing in smaller cities but working in larger metropolitan areas. The paper delves into various factors affecting passenger satisfaction, such as comfort, punctuality, security, and the ease of connections between other transport modes and HSR stations. By examining Suzhou–Shanghai high-speed rail commuters through importance–performance analysis, this research assesses the gaps between intercity commuting passengers' expectations and the actual performance of HSR and transfer services. Key findings indicate that aspects of service quality such as train fares, quiet conditions on trains, and parking availability at HSR stations require improvement. HSR services overall achieve relatively high satisfaction, which scores 3.88, but significant disparities exist in transfer experiences: commuters using public transport for transfers report lower satisfaction (3.6), while those opting for self-driving or ride-hailing show notably higher satisfaction (4.11). This highlights that transfer links are critical to shaping the holistic HSR commuting experience. Public transport currently acts as a bottleneck due to issues such as poor synchronization and comfort, whereas private and on-demand options better meet commuters’ needs for timeliness, reliability, and comfort. Enhancing overall HSR commuter satisfaction thus requires optimizing the entire transfer ecosystem, particularly improving public transport transfer services. The study concludes by offering recommendations to policymakers and HSR operators on how to enhance service quality, improve commuter satisfaction, and increase inter-city HSR ridership by addressing operational inefficiencies and service gaps.