Multi-criteria approaches for choosing intermodal technology for container transportation

Abstract

In this study integrated multi-criteria approaches are developed based on the Shannon entropy method and multi-criteria analysis for the study of intermodal transport. The research methodology consists of the following steps: definition of criteria; determination of alternatives; determination of criteria weights by the Shannon’s entropy method; ranking the alternatives by applying multi-criteria approaches; verification of the results. The Shannon’s entropy method allows to determine the weights of the criteria in a mathematical way without using expert evaluation. The multicriteria methods – Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Complex Proportional Assessment method (COPRAS), Compromise Programming (CP) and Preference Ranking Organization method for Enrichment of Evaluation (PROMETHEE) have been applied. Seven criteria for the evaluation of five alternatives for the transport of containers by heavy-duty vehicles and by rail have been studied. The results have been verified by comparison with other studies. The obtained results show that the criteria are carbon dioxide emissions during transportation (0.30), security and safety (0.31), infrastructure charges (0.16) and infrastructure characteristic (0.13). It was found that the results for the ranking of the alternatives according to the different approaches are close. It was found that the transport of containers with block-trains is the most suitable alternative for the investigated alternative routes. The developed integrated approaches can also be applied to make research in other scientific fields.