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Railway rolling stock must meet the requirements related to its use in the transportation process. The significance of these requirements can be determined using expert testing methods. The current research offers a framework of 9 criteria, which have been developed by the authors of the study, and which contribute to a comprehensive assessment of their importance and priority in relation to each other using expert evaluation methods. The normalised weights of the criteria were determined using Average Rank Transformation Into Weight Linear (ARTIW-L), Average Rank Transformation Into Weight Non-linear (ARTIW-N) and Direct Percentage Weight (DPW) methods. The criteria were given ranks and percentage weights by 18 experts with consistent opinions, which made it reasonable to consider the average of the experts’ opinions as the outcome of the task. The normalised weights of the criteria have shown that the most important issues for the experts included passenger and crew safety (0.1619), passenger and train staff ride comfort (0.1330) and environmental protection (0.1201). The least important criteria for the experts cover the range per one electric charge or full tank of fuel (0.0776), the dynamic performance of the traction rolling stock (0.0849), and the purchase price, the rebate system, the duration of the warranty period (0.0911). The other 3 criteria are of medium importance. The outcomes of this study can be used in deciding on the best alternative for rail traction rolling stock.

Transport industry with its infrastructure sector is one the main sources of GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions. In parallel, this industry has the main part on gross domestic product of a high transport transit countries with a develop road network. Transport infrastructure (TI) must be continuously developed, improved, and carefully maintained accordingly traffic and goods flow with respect to safety and emissions. Renewable resources, such as Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and energy from sustainable sources are the main accents reducing carbon emissions in the industry. The comparison outlook of different technologies emissions in a Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) with RAP production at Asphalt Mixing Plant (AMP) are presented in this paper. CO2 emissions comparison of different RAP additions models and fuel types was analysed. The calculation model was presented for carbon emissions in most critical GHG generated AM production stage as new aggregates and RAP drying and heating.

Business environment is full of ups and down and this makes companies to develop different ways of using resources. By expanding life cycle of products, these ways can be cost effective and not harmful for environment. As Reverse Logistics (RL) uses a product after end of its life, it reduces pollution, therefore it has been considered as a part of sustainable development. The core goal of current research is developing a framework by which it evaluates Third Party RL Provider (3rdPRLP) using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) based on Fuzzy Additive Ratio ASsessment (FARAS). Thirty-seven criteria were identified, which are classified into seven main criteria. The main criteria were ranked as follows: product lifecycle position C1, RL process function C2, organizational performance C3, organizational role of RL C4, IT system and communication C5, general company consideration C6, geographical location C7. Market coverage, destination, financial considerations, integrated system, reclaim, efficiency and quality, and growth are each group’s dominant sub-criteria. In addition, the current research helps the logistics managers to better understand the key attributes’ complex relationships in the environment of decision-making. First published online 21 January 2021

Deteriorated asphalt pavement material is recycled applying proved technologies based on scientific principles and practical experience. The asphalt pavement layer during rehabilitation process is loosened by a mobile transport machine fracturing into the required material grading and called Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). RAP is extracted while cutting asphalt chip in required depth at optimal speed by mean of changeable picks installed in a toolholder of milling machine rotating drum. During interaction with the asphalt pavement to be demolished, the wear of picks appears, and the dimensions of their elements decrease. Methodology and results of a field experimental research allowed statistically to determine and evaluate the wear dynamics of picks from 2 manufacturers are provided in this paper. The results provide that length of pick, diameter of carbide tip and diameter of steel body of picks from these manufacturers were decreasing proportionally to milled asphalt pavement surface. Applying the Fisher’s criterion it was found that the variances of the reduction of these geometrical parameters are the same and they satisfy the normal distribution according to the Kolmogorov’s criterion. All values of Student’s criterion calculated statistics were higher than the critical values, which indicated that the wear intensiveness of the picks of the 2 manufacturers differed significantly. These data can be used to select suitable picks for the milling machine according to their wear intensity. First published online 9 February 2022

The East-West Transport Corridor (EWTC) in the Southern part of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has been chosen as a practical area for implementation of a novel transportation concept called synchromodality. The main expectations in developing synchromodal transport system are related to the improvement of the transport service level, modal shift and capacities utilization of transport hubs along this corridor. However, in the absence of identification of major factors influencing synchromodal system it is difficult to evaluate a potential benefit of implementation of this new transport concept. Our main goal in this paper was, on the basis of a review and using a specific questionnaire, to determine the main indicators impacting effectiveness of the synchromodal system. Compatibility of experts’ opinions was verified by using Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method. The paper will be useful for transport and logistics companies interested in moving towards synchromodal transport, as well as for future researchers. In the course of the research – using the Average Rank Transformation Into Weight (ARTIW) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods – it was determined that the normalized subjective weights of the five main criteria impacting synchromodality distributed in the following order: service quality, efficiency, infrastructure sufficiency, technical properties of terminals and interaction of technologies. In accordance with the Kendall’s concordance coefficient and consistency ratio values, expert opinions are consistent, which enabled the rankings of expert group averages and the eigenvector to take as a result of the task solution. The outcomes of the research presented in the paper have shown that service quality (transport time, service and waiting time, handling time, working hours, reliability and flexibility) is the most important indicator (criterion) impacting synchromodality. At the same time it is a big challenge for transport researchers because it requires to design and apply a qualitatively new mathematical models facilitating an establishment of an optimal synchromodal network and services along chosen transport corridor.

Snow and ice cause considerable traffic problems on roads and streets in the winter period. Timely and effective removal of these problems can prevent major car accidents. This paper presents an analysis of the efficiency of Deicing Materials (DMs) used by the Lithuanian road maintenance agencies. Five different DMs were studied by performing ice melting tests in the laboratory. DMs were evenly spread on the formed ice samples taking the same amount of grains of uniform size. The ice mass dissolved by each DM was determined at different durations of melting action, ranging from 4 to 120 min, and at different ambient temperatures, ranging from –20 to –3 °C. The obtained results of each DM were analysed, and all the tested materials were compared under different temperature conditions. In addition, the deicing speed of each DM was calculated, and the DM was categorized according to the efficiency performance. A comparison of tested DM efficiencies was carried out, and the price of one percent of melted ice was determined.

A system of road transport involves vehicles, roads, traffic participants and freight that therefore closely interact. The interaction between these material elements takes place in an external environment. The process of transportation is aimed at achieving some positive results, which could increase the efficiency of the Transport System (TS). However, negative effects such as a high accident rate cannot be avoided. The road accident rate is determined by the properties of the material elements of the TS and the parameters of their interaction. Their impact on the traffic accident rate cannot be determined by a planned experiment. They also cannot be compared quantitatively, because their units of measurement are different. The paper presents a detailed description of nine types of the interaction between TS elements belonging to three various levels. The data was given to 16 transport engineering specialists as a questionnaire for expert evaluation. The paper offers a logical control methodology for filling in the questionnaire based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the sequence of calculations of the consistency of expert estimates in the process of determining the weights of the investigated interactions. The Kendall's coefficient of concordance has been used for calculating the weights assigned to the criteria by a group of experts and estimating the consistency of the ranks based on them. Finally, the paper presents a new method for evaluating expert judgements with reference to the use of the correlation analysis of ranks and weights. The significance of the calculated pairwise correlation coefficients has been validated by the Student's t-test and lowest value thus allowing us to consider that the expert opinions about the impact of the interaction of TS elements on the traffic accident rate are consistent.

A great number of serious road accidents occur all over the world every year. In spite of some progress in this area, road traffic safety has remained an acute problem in recent years. Traffic accidents on the road depend on the following factors: road traffic volume, road traffic speed, road condition, weather conditions for traffic, driving experience and driving culture. All these factors are related to traffic safety, human lives and health. The main goal of this work is to provide a statistical analysis of traffic accidents and investigate the causes, structure, dynamics and seasonal character of traffic accidents on Lithuanian regional gravel roads. It has been established that seasons play an important role for traffic accidents on regional gravel roads in Lithuania. Rates for traffic accidents increase from spring to autumn. The number of traffic accidents on Lithuanian roads decreased considerably in 2008 and 2009.

The significance of the criteria describing various aspects of travel by train, e.g. passenger transportation comfort, safety, travel time, price of a journey, etc., differs considerably. The quality of particular trains, track sections and staff performance can be successfully evaluated by a single number, using the comprehensive quality index (CQI). The paper offers an additive model to calculate the normalized weight coefficients of particular criteria for CQI calculation. A multi-criteria mathematical model, which may be used for evaluating the significance of the criteria describing organization and technology of travel by train for determining its quality, is also presented. Based on the nineteen adopted criteria (the criteria of group B), reflecting the organization and technology of travel by train, the quantitative estimate KB is obtained. Case studies of calculating the comprehensive quality index KB , describing the organization and technology of travel by the train ‘Vilnius–Moscow’, which show the real quality of these processes, are presented. Finally, the conclusions based on the research results are provided.

Economy and nonproductive sectors of each country could not function without a transport system (TS). Having analysed research works on the interaction of separate TS elements, it was identified that there is no common model for all types of interaction. TS consists of material (physical) objects: traffic participants and freight to be carried, a transportation process and operations’ control. TS classification scheme devised according to systematically selected criteria, showing that several criteria are often applied at the same time in official documents, is presented. Original TS physical elements’ interaction model with 6 interaction levels is presented as well. The model is suitable for all modes of transport. Six levels of interaction are distinguished: autointeraction of transport elements, the first level; TS elements’ interaction, the second level; TS elements’ interaction with external environment, the third level; interaction of transport modes, the fourth level; TS interaction with the country's economy and nonproductive sectors, the fifth level; and TS impact on the country's GAV (Gross Added Value), the sixth level. Properties and factors influencing on the results and parameters of interaction have been systematized. Levels and properties of interaction have been analyzed as well. To evaluate the importance of interaction levels to the parameters of the transportation process, the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been recommended. Santrauka Kiekvienos šalies ūkio ir negamybinės veiklos sektoriai negalėtų funkcionuoti be transporto sistemos. Išanalizavus mokslo darbus, skirtus atskirų transporto sistemos elementų sąveikai tirti, nustatyta, kad visas sąveikos rūšis vienijančio modelio nėra. Transporto sistemą sudaro materialūs (fiziniai) transporto objektai: eismo dalyviai ir kroviniai, kuriuos reikia vežti, transportavimo procesas ir veiklos reguliavimas. Pateikta transporto sistemos klasifikavimo pagal sistemiškai pasirinktus kriterijus schema, rodanti, kad oficialiuose dokumentuose dažnai vienu metu taikomi keli kriterijai. Pateiktas originalus transporto sistemos fizinių elementų sąveikos modelis, kuriame išskirti šeši sąveikos lygmenys. Modelis tinka visoms transporto rūšims. Pirmajam lygmeniui priskirta transporto elementų autosąveika, antrajam—transporto sistemos elementų tarpusavio sąveika, trečiajam—transporto sistemos elementų sąveika su išorine aplinka, ketvirtajam—transporto rūšių sąveika, penktajam—transporto sistemos sąveika su šalies ūkio ir negamybinės veiklos sektoriais, šeštajam—transporto sistemos įtaka šalies bendrajai pridėtinei vertei. Susisteminti sąveikos požymiai ir veiksniai, turintys įtakos fizinės sąveikos rezultatui ir jos parametrams. Išanalizuoti sąveikos lygmenys ir jos savybės. Sąveikos lygmenų prioritetui (svarbai) transportavimo proceso parametrams vertinti pasiūlyta taikyti Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) metodą, kurio pagrindą sudaro elementų porinio lyginimo matrica. Skaičiuojamajame pavyzdyje nustačius transporto sistemos elementų skirtingų lygmenų sąveikos svorį kelių transporto saugumui įrodytas AHP metodo tinkamumas transporto sistemos elementų sąveikai modeliuoti. Резюме Различные секторы хозяйственной и непроизводственной деятельности любого государства не могли бы функционировать без транспортной системы. На основе анализа научных трудов, посвященных исследованиям взаимодействия отдельных элементов транспортной системы, установлено, что не существует модели, объединяющей все виды и уровни взаимодействий. Транспортная система включает в себя разные материальные (физические) объекты. Это участники движения и грузы, которые необходимо перевозить, транспортный процесс и регулирование деятельности. Приведена схема классификации транспортной системы по системным подходам, установленным критериям, свидетельствующая о том, что зачастую в официальных документах одновременно применяется несколько критериев. Предложена оригинальная модель взаимодействия физических элементов транспортной системы, в которой выделены 6 уровней взаимодействий. Модель пригодна для всех видов транспорта. Первый уровень присвоен взаимодействию транспортных элементов, т. е «внутреннему» взаимодействию однородных материальных элементов транспортной системы, второй – взаимодействию материальных составляющих элементов транспортной системы, третий – взаимодействию материальных составляющих элементов транспорта с внешней, окружающей средой, четвертый – взаимодействию различных видов транспорта, пятый – взаимодействию транспортной системы с секторами хозяйственной и непроизводственной деятельности страны, шестой – влиянию взаимодействия транспортной системы c сектором экономики, а также влиянию непроизводственной деятельности страны на экономику (внутренний валовый продукт), предопределяющую прожиточный уровень населения. В модель включено влияние науки и исследований. Систематизированы признаки и факторы, оказывающие влияние на результат физического взаимодействия элементов транспортной системы и ее параметры. Выполнен анализ уровней взаимодействия и его свойств. Для определения приоритета (весомости) различных отдельных уровней взаимодействия на параметры процесса транспортирования предлагается применять метод анализа иерархий (Analytic Hierarchy Process), основу которого составляет матрица попарного сравнения элементов. На примере расчета весомости различных уровней взаимодействия элементов транспортной системы, влияющих на безопасность дорожного транспорта, доказана пригодность -метода AHP для моделирования взаимодействия элементов транспортной системы. Reikšminiai žodžiai: transportas, elementai, sąveika, modelis, sistema, išorinė aplinka, AHP metodas Ключевые слова: транспорт, элементы, взаимодействие, модель, система, внешняя окружающая среда, метод анализа иерархий

Passengers’ transportation by rail involving various interested groups, such as managers, service staff and passengers, is a complicated process. Decision‐making persons, organizing railway trips should take into account the interests, needs and possibilities of these particular groups. The solution to some problems associated with passengers’ transportation by rail depends on the experience and qualification of decision‐makers, people who are responsible for the effectiveness of this work. To increase the quality of railway trips, the interested parties, groups of people mentioned above, should coordinate their actions, cooperate with each other in solving the problems and exchange relevant information. Therefore, the increasing quality of passenger transportation is a complicated issue, requiring good professional skills based on knowledge, practical experience, high intellect and new ideas of all the people involved in this process. The current paper presents a diagram showing passenger's transportation quality with a number of criterion groups A, B, C, D matching the structure and numbers of the questions included in the questionnaires to survey respondents (passengers) and experts (service and administration staff of the train). What is more, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology based on the pair wise comparison of criteria is used to determine their weights (significances) considering the data obtained from the respondents and experts of each of three categories. Only these questionnaires which have no contradictory estimates are used. Also, the calculation methods demonstrating the results of the survey are provided in this work. One more point such as the data elicited from the respondents who took part in the survey (i.e. passengers from the train running on the international route Vilnius‐Moscow) and experts (i.e. service staff of the already mentioned train and representatives of the administration staff from the Joint‐Stock Company ‘Lithuanian Railways’ (AB ,,Lietuvos geležinkeliai")) is analyzed. Finally, the conclusions for improving the quality for passenger transportation by Lithuanian railways are given. First published online: 10 Feb 2011

Some particular aspects such as the improvement methods of technological parameters for hot bitu‐ men storage in a pipeline transport system, transportation and dosed supply to batch asphalt mixing plant (AMP) are evaluated in this paper. Bitumen in asphalt concrete binds together the material of mineral particles into a strong conglomerate of a complicated structure, capable of withstanding the destructive effect of vehicles and the factors on the road pavements. The optimal amount of bitumen determined by calculation and laboratory testing should be maintained in mix batches of hot‐mix asphalt (HMA) obtained from AMP mixer. In the periodic type of the asphalt concrete blender mass of the weighted matrix in the all merging batcher's tanks should correspond in percents equally in the HMA to the designed amount of the job‐mix formula (JMF). The bitumen batcher does not always weigh bitumen portions precisely. Their mass deviations from the amount determined by JMF and its variation impair HMA composition and performance. In addition,, an additive model for calculating the effect of factors causing the variance of bitumen content in the produced HMA mixture is presented in this current paper as well. The data on statistical evaluation of bitumen batcher's modernization performed at certain Lithuanian Enterprise are discussed. The differences in structures of reconstructed and not reconstructed bitumen batching systems (BBS) are analysed and methods of determining modernization effectiveness are presented. The effectiveness of BBS is analysed too, defining the deviations of bitumen content in subsamples, taken and extracted everyday for two seasons (before and after the batcher's modernization) of HMA mixture production from the value of JMF and comparing them to the values of tolerances. The analysis of column charts and histograms shows that the made modernization helped to increase the precision of supplying the required amount of bitumen to HMA mixture insignificantly. However, the control of BBS has been considerably increased. First published online: 10 Feb 2011

The transportation of passengers by railroads is a dynamic process because setting, wherein the process takes place, undergoes continuous changes observed at technical, technological and transportation process planning levels. Every passenger has different needs and aims and can afford different possibilities. Therefore, the conception of quality differs in each individual case. In order to be able to plan a railway trip process in a proper manner, it is important to become familiarized with passenger needs and preferences and eliminate any existing deficiencies. To this end, it is reasonable to conduct passenger surveys. The paper provides an affinity diagram of railway transportation quality factors, the elements whereof correspond to the structure of the survey questionnaire. For determining the level of the quantitative significance (weight) of indicators, there was applied the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) developed and introduced by the American scientist T. Saaty. The scope of research work carried out by the authors covered the determination of the highest eigenvalue, the compatibility ratio, the concordance correlation coefficient, the estimated and critical value of chi‐square values (the examples of estimations are presented in the paper) as well as the classification and processing of the surveyed data on passenger questionnaire and the analysis of respondents’ opinion. The closing part of the paper presents conclusions drawn based on the findings of the survey and respective recommendations for quality improvements in passenger transportation by Lithuanian railways. First published online: 27 Oct 2010

"The 20th anniversary of the department of transport technological equipment of the Vilnius Gediminas technical university" Transport, 11(1), p. 1-8 First published online: 27 Oct 2010