User Priorities for Station Facilities and Related Attributes at Regional Rail Stations in Rural Peripheral Areas: A Seasonal Comparison from Austria

Rural peripheral regional rail stations are important access points within everyday travel chains, yet their on-site facilities are often limited. This study examines the perceived importance of station facilities and related attributes and investigates seasonal and user-group differences. The dataset comprises 1820 questionnaires from 16 stations in Lower Austria and Upper Austria: 562 summer station-based responses, 868 winter station-based responses, and 390 winter household responses. To avoid confounding recruitment mode with season, the primary seasonal analysis compares only station-based respondents, while the household sample is analysed separately as a wider catchment area perspective. Weather shelter, toilets and reliable passenger information are the highest-rated attributes. The like-for-like seasonal comparison indicates a largely stable functional baseline, whereas selected supplementary attributes show only small tomodest seasonal differences. Women assign higher importance to several supportive facilities, while the importance of several optional offers declines with age. The household sample differs substantially in station-use frequency from the station-based samples and therefore complements, rather than directly extends, the seasonal comparison. The findings support a planning hierarchy in which essential baseline facilities are secured before context-dependent comfort, supply and optional services are considered. This evidence is analytically transferable to comparable smaller regional stations in rural and peripheral settings beyond Austria.