Perceived Level of Service at Commuter Train Station Platforms Based on Passenger Acceptable Distance

Abstract

Railway station platform density has become a critical issue in commuter rail systems due to the continued growth in passenger demand in urban areas. Increased passenger density reduces available personal space and can impact user comfort and platform acceptance. Although platform service quality is commonly evaluated using a normative Level of Service (LOS) framework derived from conventional LOS, these standards do not directly measure passengers' perceptions of comfort. This study aims to evaluate passenger acceptance of various platform-density conditions, identify critical density thresholds, and assess compliance with LOS classifications. A stated-preference survey was conducted with 297 commuter rail passengers at Depok Station in Indonesia. Respondents evaluated 10 density scenarios ranging from very high to very low, yielding 2,970 observations. The collected data were analyzed using binary logistic regression to estimate the relationship between passenger density and the probability of acceptance. The results showed that density has a statistically significant negative effect on passenger acceptance, with a regression coefficient of -0.777 (p < 0.001). The critical density, the point at which the probability of acceptance and rejection is equal, was found to be 6.70 passengers/m². This threshold corresponds to an acceptance distance of approximately 0.386 m, a geometric interpretation of the space per passenger. Comparison with conventional LOS classifications indicates that passenger perception-based thresholds can differ from conventional normative standards. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating user perceptions in platform service evaluations and provide an empirical basis for more user-oriented density management strategies at commuter rail stations.