Market segmentation analysis of potential inter-city rail travelers

Abstract

This paper reports on one aspect of a study conducted to support the analysis of the performance of a proposed intercity rail passenger service in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. In particular, this paper describes a market segmentation study of potential rail travelers on the basis of the responses of 333 participants in a computer-based, mall-intercept, market research survey.

The paper overviews the design and implementation of the computer-based survey of potential rail travelers and discusses the approach used in the identification and interpretation of the market segments. The five identified traveler groups are characterized and the implications of the market segmentation results are discussed. These five segments are: (1) functional traveler, (2) day tripper, (3) train lover, (4) leisure-hedonic traveler, and (5) family traveler.

The five groups identified in the market segmentation analysis provide a rich description of the potential rail market in the study corridor. The composition and characteristics of these groups indicate that the intercity rail travel market may have a complex structure that would be masked by the traditional business/non-business dichotomy. The characterization of the intercity rail travel market by the five identified segments provides rail service managers with very useful information for service planning and marketing.