IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i18p8372-d1752392.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Framework for Railway Sidings Supporting Sustainable Freight and Strategic Infrastructure Planning

Author

Listed:
  • Lenka Černá

    (Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Žilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia)

  • Vladimír Klapita

    (Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Žilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia)

  • Zdenka Bulková

    (Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Žilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia)

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel multi-criteria evaluation system for railway sidings, designed to support sustainable freight transport and strategic infrastructure planning. The methodology is original because it integrates six criteria—technical, economic, operational, environmental, legal, and socio-economic—into a transparent scoring model based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This structured approach reduces subjectivity, ensures replicability, and enables the evidence-based prioritization of infrastructure investments. Policy relevance is emphasized by aligning the model with EU decarbonization targets and national railway development strategies, providing actionable guidance for decision-makers. The framework was applied to the SCP Mondi siding as a case study, achieving an Overall Quality Index (OQI) score of 4.175, categorizing it as a high-performing siding. Sensitivity analysis of weighting factors confirmed the model’s robustness and adaptability across different contexts. These results highlight the framework’s practical value in optimizing resource allocation, revitalizing underused infrastructure, and accelerating the modal shift to rail.

Suggested Citation

  • Lenka Černá & Vladimír Klapita & Zdenka Bulková, 2025. "A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Framework for Railway Sidings Supporting Sustainable Freight and Strategic Infrastructure Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8372-:d:1752392
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8372/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8372/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bing Li & Ce Yun & Guanglan Xu & Xiaoqian Zhou & Hua Xuan & Giulio E. Cantarella, 2022. "Optimization of Simultaneous Delivery and Pickup Wagon Scheme on Hybrid Siding Network of Railway Terminal," Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, Hindawi, vol. 2022, pages 1-17, May.
    2. Ondrej Stopka & Maria Stopkova & Rudolf Kampf, 2019. "Application of the Operational Research Method to Determine the Optimum Transport Collection Cycle of Municipal Waste in a Predesignated Urban Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Kristijan Solina & Borna Abramović, 2022. "Effects of Railway Market Liberalisation: European Union Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, April.
    4. Adrián Šperka & Martin Vojtek & Jaromír Široký & Juraj Čamaj, 2020. "Improvement of the Last Mile-Specific Issues in Railway Freight Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-18, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tijana Ivanišević & Aleksandar Trifunović & Larysa Neduzha & Sreten Simović, 2025. "Factors Influencing Courier Drivers’ Preferences and Safety Perceptions in Urban Deliveries," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-20, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lenka Černá & Jaroslav Mašek, 2025. "Model of Public Support for Railway Sidings as a Component of the Sustainable Development of Rail Freight Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Beil, Denise & Putz-Egger, Lisa-Maria & Sys, Christa & Roorda, Matthew J., 2025. "Assessing the acceptance of modal shift policy among shippers and logistics providers," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 148-165.
    3. Krystian Pietrzak & Oliwia Pietrzak & Andrzej Montwiłł, 2023. "A Study on the Effects of Applying Cargo Delivery Systems to Support Energy Transition in Agglomeration Areas—An Example of the Szczecin Agglomeration, Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Erik Tischer & Jaromír Široký & Norbert Mondek & Michaela Krbálková & Radoslav Zelinka, 2024. "Use of Simulation for the Design of an Operational Concept on a Regional Line," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 133-144.
    5. Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim & Muhamad Nazri Borhan & Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid & Sitti Asmah Hassan & Ahmad Firdhaus Arham & Sharizal Hashim, 2023. "Modelling of Passenger Satisfaction and Reuse Intention with Monorail Services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A Hybrid SEM-ANN Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-21, August.
    6. Čarný Štefan & Zitrický Vladislav & Šipuš Denis, 2020. "Harmonization of Transport Charging in Slovak Republic," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Dedík Milan & Gašparík Jozef & Bulková Zdenka & Kendra Martin & Šulko Peter, 2023. "Optimization of Timetables on the Prague – Bratislava / Vienna and Rail Transport Route in the Post-Pandemic Period," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 14(1), pages 110-121, January.
    8. Šedivý Josef & Čejka Jiří & Guchenko Mykola, 2020. "Possible Application of Solver Optimization Module for Solving Single-circuit Transport Problems," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 78-87, May.
    9. Kanis Juaraj & Zitrický Vladislav, 2022. "Automatic Detection of Track Length Defects," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 13-24, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8372-:d:1752392. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.