According to a study conducted by the transport company “Vivi” and the research firm “Kantar” in November and December of last year, people who use train transport have become more loyal to this mode of transportation. A quarter, or 25%, of passengers travel by train every day or almost every day, while 22% use train transport 3-4 times a week.
Overall, 87% of passengers in Latvia are satisfied with train services. The satisfaction level with the company’s services exceeds the industry average for passenger transport providers.
The study's data shows that over the past year, the number of passengers rating “Vivi”’s performance as very good or excellent has increased to 43%. Additionally, if other transportation modes or service providers were available to reach their daily destinations, these passengers would still prefer “Vivi” services. At the same time, the number of passengers rating “Vivi” negatively has decreased over the past year, indicating a growing confidence in this particular transport provider compared to other alternatives.
Analyzing the results across different customer groups based on demographic parameters, it is evident that passengers under the age of 34, as well as working and non-working students, are particularly satisfied with the transport services provided by “Vivi.” In terms of service usage duration, passengers who use train transport daily or almost daily, or have been using it for over 10 years, as well as those who purchase discounted tickets, have a stronger relationship with the company.
Compared to the previous year, passenger ratings for “Vivi” services have significantly improved on the Skulte and Tukums routes. This increase is attributed to schedule improvements for these destinations and the introduction of new electric trains on electrified railway lines.
Similar to the previous year, passengers rate the company's operational aspects highly, particularly the work of conductor-controllers and railway ticket office employees. At the same time, passenger ratings for railway stops and stations, as well as trains and carriages, have significantly improved over the past year. For example, passengers highly appreciate the cleanliness of train interiors (91% satisfied), the number, comfort, and convenience of seats (87% satisfied), air temperature and ventilation (84% satisfaction), and safety levels on trains (82% satisfied).
Additionally, aspects related to train movement and schedules have been highly rated. Passengers are satisfied with train speed (86%), departure and arrival accuracy (85%), and train service regularity (81%).
Analyzing the results across different customer groups based on demographic parameters, it is evident that passengers under the age of 34, as well as both working and non-working students, are particularly satisfied with the transport services provided by “Vivi.” In terms of service usage duration, passengers who use train transport daily or almost daily, or have been using it for more than 10 years, as well as those who purchase discounted tickets, have a stronger relationship with the company.
Compared to the previous year, passenger ratings for “Vivi” services have significantly increased on the Skulte and Tukums routes. This can be attributed to improvements in the interval schedule for these destinations and the introduction of new electric trains on electrified railway lines.
As in the previous year, passengers rated the work of conductor controllers and railway ticket office staff as the most important aspects of the company's performance, while passenger ratings of railway stops and stations, as well as trains and carriages, increased significantly over the year. For example, passengers appreciate the cleanliness of the train cabin (91% satisfied), the number of seats, comfort and convenience (87% satisfied), the air temperature and air exchange (84% satisfied) and the level of security on trains (82% satisfied). Similarly, the aspects reflecting the trains' movements and timetables were highly rated: speed (86% of passengers satisfied), punctuality of departures and arrivals (85% of passengers satisfied) and regularity of trains (81% of passengers satisfied).
Passenger travel habits have also changed slightly over the year, with commuters becoming more loyal. The survey data show that a quarter or 25% of passengers travel by train every day or almost every day (the highest share is in the Sigulda, Skulte and Tukums direction), a fifth or 22% of passengers travel by train 3-4 times a week, 19% 1-2 times a week, 19% a few times a month and 13% less often. The number of passengers using Vivi services 3-4 times a week has increased over the year, while the number of passengers using train services less than a few times a month has decreased.
At the beginning of last year, Vivi started a gradual transition to modern electric trains that meet today's requirements. Although the introduction of these new trains posed some challenges at the beginning, the company has successfully overcome them, providing passengers with an unprecedented transport experience on electrified lines. Passengers have also spoken highly of the services provided by the new electric trains. When evaluating various aspects of the new trains, the most favourable aspects were the level of sound and vibration in the carriages (95% satisfied), the availability of air conditioning (93% satisfied), the location, availability and quantity of electricity sockets (89% satisfied), information and advertising displays (83% satisfied) and amenities (78% satisfied). Passengers are also moderately satisfied with the provision of space for disabled, baby carriages and ticket validators.
JSC Pasažieru vilciens is the largest passenger carrier by rail in the Baltics, operating under the Vivi brand, providing rolling stock repair services and commercial passenger services. Pasažieru vilciens was founded in 2001. In 2023 it started modernising its passenger services, introduced a new passenger service standard and the Vivi passenger train brand. In 2024, 19.44 million passengers were transported by rail. The company employs more than 950 people.
