Railway Information Technology Service Quality and Passenger Loyalty in Thailand: The Sequential Mediating Roles of Perceived Value and Satisfaction

Rail passengers increasingly rely on information technology (IT) to plan their journeys, check timetables and safety information, purchase tickets, navigate stations, and connect with other modes of transport. This study develops and validates a multidimensional measure of railway information technology service quality (ITRS) and tests its relationship with passenger loyalty through the sequential mediating roles of perceived value and satisfaction, using data from 1190 intercity rail passengers in Thailand, divided into two independent samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a consistent seven-dimensional structure for the ITRS, and the structural equation model showed a good fit to the data (χ2(768) = 2290.67, CFI = 0.963, TLI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.058, and SRMR = 0.051). The results indicate that nearly all the influence of ITRS on loyalty is indirect: passengers do not become loyal simply because digital services function well, but because these services first build perceived value and satisfaction, which, in turn, generates loyalty. Every mediating pathway tested was statistically significant, including the full sequential pathway from ITRS through perceived value and satisfaction to loyalty. These findings suggest that technically efficient digital investment alone may not generate long-term loyalty unless it enhances passengers’ perceived value and satisfaction.