Examining Urban Rail Transit Choice Intention: An Integration of Value-Belief-Norm and Customer Satisfaction Theories

This paper examines the factors influencing passengers’ intention to use urban rail transit, with a particular focus on psychological variables. A comprehensive psychological model, integrating the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and Customer Satisfaction (CS) theory, is employed to analyze passengers’ travel intentions. Grounded in this theoretical framework, the study applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and survey data to evaluate the impact of low-carbon transportation policies and low-carbon awareness on passengers’ intentions to reuse rail transit in Tianjin, China. The empirical results show that the integration of VBN and CS theories provides an effective framework for predicting passengers’ reuse intentions. Specifically, low-carbon transport policies have a positive effect on passengers’ reuse intentions, while low-carbon awareness influences these intentions indirectly through the mechanisms of awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and personal norms. This study offers valuable insights for transportation authorities to better understand the psychological factors shaping passengers’ decisions and to enhance service provision accordingly.