A Study of the Impact of the Use of Real-Time Crowding Information on the Perceived Service Quality of High-Speed Rail by Passengers with Unfixed-Seat Tickets

Unfixed-seat tickets are one of the supplementary forms of tickets used when the transport capacity of high-speed rail is insufficient; however, the needs of passengers with unfixed-seat tickets are often neglected. To understand the influence of unfixed-seat tickets on passengers' perception of the quality of high-speed rail service, including their satisfaction, this study takes the provision of real-time crowding information (RTCI) as the independent variable and the satisfaction of passengers with unfixed-seat tickets with the quality of the high-speed rail service as the dependent variable, and adds social anxiety as a moderating variable, to construct a model. We conducted experiments and gathered data through questionnaires. The results showed that the implementation of RTCI has a significant impact on the satisfaction levels about high-speed railway service quality. In comparison to scenarios without RTCI or with RTCI failure, successful RTCI implementation can significantly enhance user satisfaction. Additionally, the moderating effect of social anxiety is significant. Perceived satisfaction did not significantly differ for individuals with low social anxiety in the absence of RTCI or in cases where RTCI failed; however, for individuals with high social anxiety, perceived satisfaction was significantly lower when RTCI failed compared to the No-RTCI condition. The potential practical implications of these findings are discussed.