Title: Value of Punctuality on Suburban Trains to and from Paris
Abstract: The research project under discussion aimed to provide an operational methodology to assess the perceived benefits of investments to improve punctuality of suburban rail services to and from Paris. A literature review, train surveys and counts, and a stated preference (trade-off) experiment have been conducted to obtain values of reliability. Also, a simple tool was developed to quantify the benefits of specific projects. This was applied in a case study to the Réseau Express Régional (RER) B Nord+ punctuality improvement project. The research indicated that an improvement in punctuality, expressed as a 5% reduction in the number of trains delayed 5 to 15 min, was worth about 4.6 min of travel time for commuters and students. Comfort appeared to be important, with a particularly clear dislike of standing in crowded trains. Information was also valued as worthwhile: explicit information about the duration of delays (in addition to information about the cause of delays) was valued similarly as a 10-min reduction in travel time. The RER B Nord+ case study indicated that total annual benefits of about €10 million were expected, beyond the €31 million benefits due to travel time savings (€1 = US$1.34 in 2007).