The numerical example for evaluating the criteria describing the quality of the trip by international train

Abstract

The paper aims to determine the quality of the trip by train, which depends on the number of factors described by four groups of criteria. Each group includes individual criteria. The weight of the criteria of each group describing the quality of the trip by train is different. It is determined by using Kendall’s rank correlation method. The normalized weights of sixteen criteria of the group A, describing the elements of the train and the state of the railway track, are found based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. They are used in the original additive mathematical model, allowing the quality of the trip by train to be expressed by a single value – the multiple criteria index. The weight of each criterion is multiplied by its dimensionless variable calculated by comparing the real criterion value to its best, worst or allowable (standard) value. The validity of the developed mathematical model is checked by using the data on the technical state of the elements of the international train ‘Vilnius-Moscow’ and the railway track obtained on the territory of Lithuania.