Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

Once the train had departed the originating station, researchers waited for the on-board
staff to complete a small amount of business with the passengers before allowing the researchers
to begin the survey distribution. After receiving notification from the on-board crew, researchers
passed through the train and asked each passenger who appeared to be 18 years of age or older if
he or she wished to participate in the study. If the passenger wished to participate, the researcher
provided him or her with a blank survey form and a golf-sized pencil. Some passengers elected
to use their own writing utensil rather than the pencils provided. After passing through the train
once distributing surveys, researchers passed through again to collect completed surveys and
answer questions from the passengers. Completed surveys were placed in a manila-colored
envelope if passed back to the researcher or deposited into the box in the café car by the
respondent. At intermediate stations, on-board staff informed researchers of where in the train
newly boarded passengers were seated. Surveys were offered to those individuals at that time.
Passengers that were sleeping or on cell phones were not offered a survey. At the end of each
run, the box in the café car was emptied out and researchers passed through the train to pick up
any surveys or pencils left in the seats.
Throughout the entire duration of the data collection effort, coordination between
researchers and the Heartland Flyer on-board staff was extremely beneficial. The on-board staff
allowed researchers to board the train in Oklahoma City or Fort Worth before the passengers
were allowed to board. This allowed researchers to set up an “office” area to prepare survey
materials and also to store extra supplies and personal items. On-board staff also provided
researchers with estimated passenger counts for the particular run, so as to prepare for the
number of surveys to be distributed. The on-board staff provided guidance to researchers on
where passengers who had boarded at intermediate stations were seated, to avoid confusion as to
which passengers had already been surveyed. Finally, although it was not specifically requested
by the researchers, the on-board staff would occasionally announce the presence of the
researchers and the survey effort over the train’s public address system at the start of the run.
Without the valuable assistance and support provided to the researchers by the on-board staff, the
data collection phase of this study would undoubtedly have been much more difficult.
76