SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2

Revitalizing Railway Heritage for Sustainable Regional Development: User Satisfaction and Implications for University Students in the Case of the Lakes Express

Sürdürülebilir Bölgesel Kalkınma İçin Demiryolu Mirasının Canlandırılması: Göller Ekspresi Örneğinde Kullanıcı Memnuniyeti ve Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Çıkarımlar

Raşit Acar(MEHMET AKİF ERSOY ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SOSYAL BİLİMLER MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU)0000-0001-5769-6828
Pages
147–157
Publication Date
2026-06-29
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that overall user satisfaction is above the average level, highlighting the railway’s effectiveness in providing accessible and affordable transportation.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines the revitalization of railway heritage as a tool for sustainable regional development, focusing on user satisfaction with the Lakes Express and its implications for university students.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Significant differences in satisfaction were found according to gender, education level, and income, while no significant differences were observed across age and occupational groups.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that overall user satisfaction is above the average level, highlighting the railway’s effectiveness in providing accessible and affordable transportation.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Bölgesel Demiryolu · Kullanıcı Memnuniyeti · Sürdürülebilir Hareketlilik

Abstract

This study examines the revitalization of railway heritage as a tool for sustainable regional development, focusing on user satisfaction with the Lakes Express and its implications for university students. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to passengers using the Lakes Express. The sample predominantly consisted of university students, reflecting the railway’s role in supporting higher education mobility. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to examine differences in satisfaction across demographic variables. The findings indicate that overall user satisfaction is above the average level, highlighting the railway’s effectiveness in providing accessible and affordable transportation. Significant differences in satisfaction were found according to gender, education level, and income, while no significant differences were observed across age and occupational groups. University students and lower-income participants reported higher satisfaction levels, suggesting that the Lakes Express plays a critical role in supporting educational accessibility and social inclusion. The results suggest that regional railway services contribute not only to sustainable mobility but also to higher education participation by facilitating reliable and cost-effective student travel. In this context, the Lakes Express emerges as a functional public service with the potential to strengthen the relationship between transportation infrastructure and higher education systems.

Özet

Bu çalışma, sürdürülebilir bölgesel kalkınma kapsamında demiryolu mirasının canlandırılmasını, Göller Ekspresi kullanıcı memnuniyeti ve üniversite öğrencilerine yönelik etkileri üzerinden incelemektedir. Nicel araştırma deseni benimsenmiş; veriler, Göller Ekspresi’ni kullanan yolculara uygulanan yapılandırılmış anket aracılığıyla elde edilmiştir. Araştırma örnekleminin önemli bir bölümünü üniversite öğrencilerinin oluşturması, hattın yükseköğretim hareketliliğindeki rolünü ortaya koymaktadır. Verilerin analizinde betimsel istatistikler, bağımsız örneklemler t-testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, genel kullanıcı memnuniyet düzeyinin ortalamanın üzerinde olduğunu göstermektedir. Cinsiyet, eğitim düzeyi ve gelir değişkenlerine göre memnuniyet düzeylerinde anlamlı farklılıklar bulunurken; yaş ve meslek grupları açısından anlamlı bir fark tespit edilmemiştir. Üniversite öğrencileri ve düşük gelir gruplarındaki katılımcıların daha yüksek memnuniyet düzeyine sahip olması, Göller Ekspresi’nin eğitim erişilebilirliği ve sosyal kapsayıcılık açısından önemli bir işlev üstlendiğini göstermektedir. Sonuç olarak, bölgesel demiryolu hizmetlerinin sürdürülebilir hareketliliğin yanı sıra yükseköğretime erişimi destekleyen bütüncül bir kamu hizmeti niteliği taşıdığı söylenebilir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Acar, R. (2026). Revitalizing Railway Heritage for Sustainable Regional Development: User Satisfaction and Implications for University Students in the Case of the Lakes Express. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2, 147–157. https://doi.org/10.32329/uad.1858735

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (18)

  1. Abukhalifeh, A. N., & Som, A. P. M. (2015). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring customer perceptions of restaurants’ service quality. Advances in Environmental Biology, 9(5), 160–162.
  2. Abu-Rumman, A., & Qawasmeh, R. (2022). Assessing international students’ satisfaction at a Jordanian university using the service quality model. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 14(5), 1742–1760. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-03-2021-0092
  3. Beirão, G., & Cabral, J. S. (2007). Understanding attitudes towards public transport and private car: A qualitative study. Transport Policy, 14(6), 478–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2007.04.009
  4. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2013). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (14. baskı). Pegem Akademi.
  5. Dabholkar, P. A., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2002). An attitudinal model of technology-based self-service: Moderating effects of consumer traits and situational factors. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(3), 184–201. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070302303001
  6. Eboli, L., & Mazzulla, G. (2011). A methodology for evaluating transit service quality based on subjective and objective measures from the passenger’s point of view. Transport Policy, 18(1), 172–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.07.007
  7. Karasar, N. (2012). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi (24. baskı). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  8. Kral, P., Janoskova, K., & Kliestik, T. (2018). Key determinants of public transport users’ satisfaction. Administration and Management in Public Sector, 31, 36–51.
  9. Li, Z., Wang, W., Yang, C., & Ragland, D. R. (2013). Bicycle commuting market analysis using an attitude-based market segmentation approach. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 47, 56–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2012.10.017
  10. Litman, T. (2003). Sustainable transportation indicators. Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
  11. Litman, T. (2008). Valuing sustainable transportation. World Transport Policy & Practice, 14(2), 27–44.
  12. Mercan, Ş. O. (2010). Regional planning and tourism product formation within the scope of sustainable tourism: A study on Altınoluk (Doctoral dissertation). Dokuz Eylül University.
  13. Mouwen, A. (2015). Drivers of customer satisfaction with public transport services. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 78, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2015.05.005
  14. Orhan, F., & Hocaoğlu, H. (2023). From Orient Express to Touristic Eastern Express: An examination of the touristic importance of railways in Turkey. International Journal of Geography and Geography Education, 50, 247–266. https://doi.org/10.32003/igge.1182304.
  15. Salihoğlu, T., & Karasümen Açıkgöz, F. (2021). Üniversite kampüslerinde öğrenci yaşantısının kalitesi: GTÜ Çayırova Kampüsü örneği. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, 4(1), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.32329/uad.826763.
  16. Szromek, A. R. (2021). Indicators of sustainable development of industrial heritage tourism. Sustainability, 13(5), 2345. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052345
  17. Varol, F. (2017). Sustainability in cultural heritage management: A study on tourism stakeholders in Konya (Master’s thesis). Necmettin Erbakan University.
  18. Wallin Andreassen, T. (1995). (Dis)satisfaction with public services: The case of public transportation. Journal of Services Marketing, 9(5), 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876049510094430