An in-car questionnaire survey was conducted, with an aim to examine the significance of personal services (i.e., services by conductors, cabin attendants, and in-car salespersons) on passenger comfort and satisfaction. Data were collected from 1,134 passengers on 16 trains. Information concerning the individual passengers (age, sex, regularity of train use, etc.) and their expectation and satisfaction with both personal services and physical parameters was collected. As a result, it was found that there were differences between passenger expectation and their satisfaction. Factor analysis of the differences has demonstrated that passengers use six factors including a "personal service factor" in evaluating the level of their comfort and satisfaction. The results also showed that passengers attached importance to personal services as well as physical parameters to improve passenger comfort and satisfaction.

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