European Journal of Service Management

The article presents the preferences of rail transport travellers based on the results of secondary and primary research (hierarchy of importance of the characteristics of passenger transport services and assessment of their implementation) in comparison to changes in the environment of transport companies, which are also an opportunity to develop passenger rail transport. The aim of this article is to indicate the most significant characteristics of passenger rail transport services for service recipients, as well as evaluate the implementation of these characteristics by entities offering passenger rail transport services in Poland, and at the same time determine the gap that occurs in the assessments of these perspectives by travellers. In order to achieve the objective, the desk research method, which takes into account the available literature and results of secondary research published by Urząd Transportu Kolejowego (the Office of Rail Transport) and the Central Statistical Office (GUS) that open new possibilities for carriers in the scope of analysing and adapting to the expectations of service recipients, as well as the survey method using the questionnaire in primary research, were applied. Finally, passenger rail transport in regions and agglomerations in Poland was chosen as a research area.