Analyzing interrelationships and prioritising the factors influencing sustainable intermodal freight transport system: A grey-DANP approach

Abstract

Abstract The intermodal railroad (IRR) based freight transport system is considered as the most sustainable way of goods distribution. Although there are many inhibitors which obstruct the popularity of intermodal transportation. Most of the previous work consider inhibitors as an independent and quantitative factor, but in the real world, these inhibitors are interdependent as well as qualitative in nature. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a hierarchical framework based on the grey-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (grey-DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP), i.e. gDANP. The integration of grey theory into DEMATEL provides a better inclusion of subjectively of the decision-making process. The originality of this work comes from its ability to combine operational, technological & infrastructural, knowledge, organisational, and government policy & regulations dimensions and its attributes for evaluating IRR inhibitors. The proposed framework is validated with a case of the Indian IRR system. The integrated framework provides interrelationships and priority weight of such dimensions and related attributes. Influential network relation map (INRM) develops useful policy suggestions for improving the share of intermodal services in the Indian freight industry. The present work also provides necessary managerial and theoretical insights for freight transport policymakers and researchers.