Airport Rail Link Versus Economy Bus On The Solo–Madiun Corridor: Role Of Comfort And Reliability

Abstract

The Adi Soemarmo Airport Rail Link (KA BIAS) extension to Madiun shifted from airport access to a regional intercity alternative, competing with economy buses along Solo–Madiun corridor. This study identifies passenger characteristics and service attributes influencing KA BIAS versus economy-bus choice. A stated-preference survey included 179 users at Solo Balapan Station and Tirtonadi Terminal. Six attributes—travel time, fare, comfort, security, reliability, and service frequency—were assessed. Cramer's V, Chi-square, and binary logistic regression were applied. Socioeconomic factors, monthly income and transport expenditure, were significantly associated with mode choice, although weakly. Comfort and reliability significantly predicted KA BIAS choice; travel time, fare, security, and service frequency showed no significant partial effects. Model was significant (χ² = 14.260; p = 0.001), with Hosmer–Lemeshow fit (p = 0.841) and Nagelkerke R² = 0.102, indicating modest improvement over intercept-only model. With small fare differences, competitiveness depends more on passenger experience and reliability than cost. The study extends airport-rail mode-choice literature by examining an airport rail service operating simultaneously as a regional intercity transport mode.