Application of Statistical Analysis for Risk Estimate of Railway Accidents and Traffic Incidents at Level Crossings

Abstract This paper deals with applying statistical analysis of traffic safety to analyze the risks at level crossings. The social costs of railway accidents and traffic incidents at level crossings are very high and lead to a reduction in the levels of traffic safety. In addition to the consequences reflected in the loss of human lives, injuries, and disabilities, the stress and trauma of direct participants in traffic, accidents, and incidents at level crossings cause huge property and economic losses and significant primary and secondary traffic delays. The traffic safety analysis was conducted on 2128 level crossings, which are differently protected on the lines Joint Stock Company for Public Railway Infrastructure Management ”Serbian Railway Infrastructure” with statistical data of accidents in the Republic of Serbia from 2007 to 2017. The paper analyzes the obtained results using the methods of descriptive and inferential statistics to define measures of possible improvement of safety levels at the obtained critical level crossings. Also, a proposal was made for improving and raising the level of safety on level crossings through innovative education of direct participants in traffic

Ancient logistics – historical timeline and etymology

Fenomen logistike ima iznimnu genezu. Po nalazima koji su prikazani u radu, logistika datira iz razdoblja kasnog brončanog doba, iz antičkog doba. Uvjet za razvoj logistike bio je evolucija metričkih sustava, prije svega numeričkog sustava. Osnove mezopotamijskog i egipatskog numeričkog sustava Feničani su prilagodili u trgovačke svrhe. Tadašnji fenomen broja nije imao odgovarajući simbol, nego je predstavljen kao slika. Primarno značenje riječi logos je računati. Etimologija riječi logistike je izvedena iz sinteze računanja i slike, "vještina računanja pomoću slika". Detaljna analiza najstarije olupine broda – Uluburun, dokazuje intenzivne proizvodne i trgovačke aktivnosti kasnog brončanog doba na Mediteranu. Takve aktivnosti su mogle biti realizirane samo uz podršku intenzivnih logističkih aktivnosti. Prikazana analiza pomiće definiciju logistike daleko u razdoblje p.n.e. Čuveni Pitagora je bio prvi imenovani logističar.The phenomenon of logistics has an exceptional genesis. According to the findings presented in this paper, logistics dates back to Late Bronze Age (LBA), to ancient times. The bases for logistics development were an evolution of metrics systems, first of all numerical systems. The grounds of Mesopotamian and Egyptian numerical systems were used for commercial purposes by the Phoenicians. In that time the numbers were not displayed as symbols but as pictures. Primary meaning of the word logos was to count. The etymology of the word logistic was drawn from two words, the counting and the picture or the knowing of "numeracy skills through images". The detailed analysis of the oldest known shipwreck – Uluburun, proved intensive production and commercial activities in the LBA period in the Mediterranean. These activities could be realized only with the support of intensive logistic activities. The analysis of the logistics change, given below, shows that the definition of logistics starts far in the period of BC. The famous Pythagoras was the first logistician to be appointed

Model for Railway Infrastructure Management Organization

The provision of appropriate quality rail services has an important role in terms of railway infrastructure: quality of infrastructure maintenance, regulation of railway traffic, line capacity, speed, safety, train station organization, the allowable lines load and other infrastructure parameters.The analysis of experiences in transforming the railway systems points to the conclusion that there is no unique solution in terms of choice for institutional rail infrastructure management modes, although more than nineteen years have passed from the beginning of the implementation of the Directive 91/440/EEC. Depending on the approach to the process of restructuring the national railway company, adopted regulations and caution in its implementation, the existence or absence of a clearly defined transport strategy, the willingness to liberalize the transport market, there are several different ways for institutional management of railway infrastructure.A hybrid model for selection of modes of institutional rail infrastructure management was developed based on the theory of artificial intelligence, theory of fuzzy sets and theory of multicriteria optimization.KEY WORDSmanagement, railway infrastructure, organizational structure, hybrid model</p

A Novel Rough WASPAS Approach for Supplier Selection in a Company Manufacturing PVC Carpentry Products

The decision-making process requires the prior definition and fulfillment of certain factors, especially when it comes to complex areas such as supply chain management. One of the most important items in the initial phase of the supply chain, which strongly influences its further flow, is to decide on the most favorable supplier. In this paper a selection of suppliers in a company producing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) carpentry was made based on the new approach developed in the field of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM). The relative values of the weight coefficients of the criteria are calculated using the rough analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method. The evaluation and ranking of suppliers is carried out using the new rough weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method. In order to determine the stability of the model and the ability to apply the developed rough WASPAS approach, the paper analyzes its sensitivity, which involves changing the value of the coefficient &lambda; in the first part. The second part of the sensitivity analysis relates to the application of different multi-criteria decision-making methods in combination with rough numbers that have been developed in the very recent past. The model presented in the paper is solved by using the following methods: rough Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), rough Evaluation based on Distancefrom Average Solution (EDAS), rough MultiAttributive Border Approximation area Comparison (MABAC), rough Vi&scaron;ekriterijumsko kompromisno rangiranje (VIKOR), rough MultiAttributiveIdeal-Real Comparative Analysis (MAIRCA) and rough Multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis plus the full multiplicative form (MULTIMOORA). In addition, in the third part of the sensitivity analysis, the Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC) of the ranks obtained was calculated which confirms the applicability of all the proposed approaches. The proposed rough model allows the evaluation of alternatives despite the imprecision and lack of quantitative information in the information-management process

Model for Dimensioning Technology and Capacity of Border Railway Stations

The participation of the national rail networks in the European corridors requires certain modifications and their redefinition. Because the railway stations are special parts of the railway networks, they should be modernized, especially in south-eastern Europe. The main issue in the process of construction or reconstruction of railway stations is dimensioning (projection) of infrastructure facilities. The dimensioning of the infrastructure capacity is in direct correlation with the projected technology of work and the planned volume of traffic. This paper presents the simulation model which allows sizing facilities of border rail stations on the basis of the defined work and traffic technology

A Novel Model for Determining Public Service Compensation in Integrated Public Transport Systems

In free market conditions, if public passenger transport services are commercially unprofitable, there will be no interest for transport companies to perform them. However, directly because of the citizens’ interests, on the one hand, and indirectly because of the economy, passenger public transport services have become of a general public interest. The authorities must prepare appropriate legal fair market conditions, based on which public transport will be subsidized and conducted. In order to achieve that, for the mutual benefit of the public, users and transport companies, it is necessary that the right Public Service Obligation Model (PSO model or in some literature PCS—Public Service Compensation) be defined. Within this study, the optimal approach to assigning a PSC contract to transport companies for performing the PSO in integrated and regular public passenger transport systems is determined. A novel model, presented in this paper, can help national, regional and local authorities to choose and determine the way and level of PSCs for conducting the public transport of passengers and establishing a sustainable public passenger transport system.This article belongs to the Section Sustainable TransportationThis research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, under the Project TR36012: Research of technical-technological, staff and organizational capacity of Serbian Railways, from the viewpoint of current and future European Union

Exploring the impact of transportation on heavy metal pollution: A comparative study of trains and cars

This study aimed to investigate the impact of road and rail traffic on the soil through the analysisof the presence of heavy metals in soil samples collected next to a busy highway, local roads, andnext to an active railway line. Results showed that cars emitted higher levels of heavy metals thantrains. Soil samples near the highway had higher levels of Cu, Ni, and Hg. The values of thecalculated indices like geo-accumulation index, potential toxicity response index, ecological riskfactor, contamination factor, pollution load index, Nemerow’s pollution index, and degree ofcontamination confirm that the soil samples sampled near the highway are the most polluted andhighway have the greatest negative impact on the soil environment. These results suggest thatcontrolling car emissions through strict regulations and promoting public transportation couldeffectively reduce the heavy metal concentrations in soil, particularly from highway emissions

Management in the delivery of hazardous material packages using courier services

The paper studies the transportation of hazardous materials with a focus on the delivery of hazardous material packages using courier services. The managerial approach to solving the problem of package shipment is the basic characteristics and the essence of modern management in courier services, without which it is impossible to imagine a more efficient operation, work and development. Transportation of hazardous materials has to be organized according to certain regulations, which are defined for each means of transportation, in order to minimize the risk of accidents. Hazardous materials shipments using courier services with transport reliefs are possible with 'limited quantities' and 'exclusion under transport category'

A Novel Model for Determining Public Service Compensation in Integrated Public Transport Systems

In free market conditions, if public passenger transport services are commercially unprofitable, there will be no interest for transport companies to perform them. However, directly because of the citizens&rsquo; interests, on the one hand, and indirectly because of the economy, passenger public transport services have become of a general public interest. The authorities must prepare appropriate legal fair market conditions, based on which public transport will be subsidized and conducted. In order to achieve that, for the mutual benefit of the public, users and transport companies, it is necessary that the right Public Service Obligation Model (PSO model or in some literature PCS&mdash;Public Service Compensation) be defined. Within this study, the optimal approach to assigning a PSC contract to transport companies for performing the PSO in integrated and regular public passenger transport systems is determined. A novel model, presented in this paper, can help national, regional and local authorities to choose and determine the way and level of PSCs for conducting the public transport of passengers and establishing a sustainable public passenger transport system