APPLYING ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS TO ASSESS TRAFFIC SAFETY RISK OF RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

TheAnalytic Hierarchy Process is described in recent research works as an emerging multicriteria decision-making approach to solving large, dynamic, and complex problems, which reflect real situations, such as strategic planning of management or resources, justification of introducing new technologies or determining the effectiveness of systems' operation. The paper presents an application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process to performance evaluation through a case study of Lithuanian railway traffic safety risk. The results of the performed study show that the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process method can help railway traffic control managers effectively evaluate the railway infrastructure objects from the perspective of traffic safety risk and make long-term strategic plans for preventing the accidents on railway lines even under difficult economic and transportation conditions. A model for assessing railway infrastructure objectsfrom the perspective of traffic safety risk, developed and realized by the authors for Lithuanian Railways two real lines, is presented. Finally, basic conclusions and recommendations are given.