Adaptive AHP and Monte Carlo Simulation for Risk-Informed High-Speed Rail Route Decision-Making Operations
| International Journal of Civil Engineering |
| © 2026 by SSRG - IJCE Journal |
| Volume 13 Issue 1 |
| Year of Publication : 2026 |
| Authors : Yogesh P. Kherde, Uday P. Waghe, Radhika S. Thakre, Rajesh M. Dhoble, Humera Khanum |
How to Cite?
Yogesh P. Kherde, Uday P. Waghe, Radhika S. Thakre, Rajesh M. Dhoble, Humera Khanum, "Adaptive AHP and Monte Carlo Simulation for Risk-Informed High-Speed Rail Route Decision-Making Operations," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 104-120, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I1P109
Abstract:
Deciding on the routes for the HSR involves complex trade-offs within and across the environmental, financial, and social dimensions, all within uncertain and dynamic settings. Whenever traditional decision-making models, such as static Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) frameworks, cannot track real-time data or adjust to the ever-changing views of the stakeholders, a new, detailed gap appears. To satisfy this need, the paper proposes a Predictive Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (PMCDM) model, which combines Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Monte Carlo Simulation, and Fuzzy Logic, and presents an adaptive framework. The PMCDM model updates the weights of decisions dynamically based on real-time feedback of IoT sensors and from financial data, and models future possibilities and uncertainties through probabilistic simulations and the fuzzy inference would evolve with changing stakeholder perceptions. Our model, applied to the Californian HSR context, increased route rank by 3.5% better performance alignment margin over exclusive reach in financial risk variance by 6. These findings underscore that PMCDM may be involved in risk-informed adaptive infrastructure decision-making.
Keywords:
High-Speed Rail, Predictive Analytics, AHP, Monte Carlo Simulation, Risk Assessments.
References:
[1] Alexei Iliasov et al., “Practical Verification of Railway Signalling Programs,” IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 695-707, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[2] Md Nasmus Sakib Khan Shabbir et al., “A Novel Toolbox for Induced Voltage Prediction on Rail Tracks Due to AC Electromagnetic Interference Between Railway and Nearby Power Lines,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 2772-2784, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[3] Jiaxi Wang et al., “Synchronized Optimization for Service Scheduling, Train Parking and Routing at High-Speed Rail Maintenance Depot,” IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 4525-4540, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[4] Min Zhou et al., “Integrated Timetable Rescheduling for Multidispatching Sections of High-Speed Railways During Large-Scale Disruptions,” IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 366-375, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[5] Bishal Sharma et al., “A Real-Time Railway Traffic Management Approach Preserving Passenger Connections,” IEEE Access, vol. 12, pp. 79066-79081, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[6] Marie-Sklaerder Vié, Nicolas Zufferey, and Stefan Minner, “A Matheuristic for Tactical Locomotive and Driver Scheduling for the Swiss National Railway Company SBB Cargo AG,” OR Spectrum, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 1113-1151, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[7] Min Zhou et al., “Robot-Guided Crowd Evacuation in a Railway Hub Station in Case of Emergencies,” Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, vol. 104, no. 4, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[8] Mark M. Dekker, “Geographic Delay Characterization of Railway Systems,” Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[9] Yichen Lu, Chao Yang, and Jun Yang, “A Multi-Objective Humanitarian Pickup and Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem with Drones,” Annals of Operations Research, vol. 319, no. 1, pp. 291-353, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] Upasana Sarma, and Sanjib Ganguly, “Allocation Planning of the Hydrogen Refueling Stations for the Deployment of Hydrogen-Powered Locomotives in Indian North East Frontier Railway,” Transactions of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 775-785, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] M.G. Kozlova et al., “Models and Algorithms for Multiagent Hierarchical Routing with time Windows,” Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International, vol. 62, no. 5, pp. 862-883, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Mehmet Sinan Yıldırım, “A Management System for Autonomous Shuttle Freight Train Service in Shared Railway Corridors,” International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 273-290, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] Bjørnar Luteberget, and Christian Johansen, “Drawing with SAT: Four Methods and a Tool for Producing Railway Infrastructure Schematics,” Formal Aspects of Computing, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 829-854, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[14] Lu-Jie Zhou, Jian-Wu Dang, and Zhen-Hai Zhang, “Fault Classification for On-Board Equipment of High-Speed Railway based on Attention Capsule Network,” International Journal of Automation and Computing, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 814-825, 2021. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[15] Y.S. Pu et al., “Capacity Analysis of a Passenger Rail Hub using Integrated Railway and Pedestrian Simulation,” Urban Rail Transit, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-15, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[16] Radhika Kavra, Anjana Gupta, and Sangita Kansal, “Systematic Study of Topology Control Methods and Routing Techniques in Wireless Sensor Networks,” Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 1862-1922, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[17] Francesco Flammini et al., “Compositional Modeling of Railway Virtual Coupling with Stochastic Activity Networks,” Formal Aspects of Computing, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 989-1007, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[18] Yan Sun, Nan Yu, and Baoliang Huang, “Green Road-Rail Intermodal Routing Problem with Improved Pickup and Delivery Services Integrating Truck Departure Time Planning Under Uncertainty: An Interactive Fuzzy Programming Approach,” Complex and Intelligent Systems, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 1459-1486, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[19] Chengxiao Yu et al., “Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Fountain Coding for Concurrent Multipath Transfer in High-Speed Railway Networks,” Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 2744-2756, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[20] Neeraj Kumar, and Abhishek Mishra, “EEDLNN Algorithm for Assessing the Vulnerability in Railway Network with Respect to Passengers and Trains,” Wireless Personal Communications, vol. 127, no. 3, pp. 2535-2552, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[21] Yao Cui, and Xiaoye Zhou, “Feeder Delivery Vehicle Scheduling Optimization of High-Speed Railway Express based on Trunk and Branch Intermodal Transportation,” Scientific Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[22] Qianzhi Wang et al., “A River Flood and Earthquake Risk Assessment of Railway Assets along the Belt and Road,” International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 553-567, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[23] Eu Wang Kim, and Seok Kim, “Optimum Location Analysis for an Infrastructure Maintenance Depot in Urban Railway Networks,” KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 1919-1930, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[24] A.N. Ignatov, and A.V. Naumov, “On the Problem of Increasing the Railway Station Capacity,” Automation and Remote Control, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 102-114, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] Haitao Hu et al., “Traction Power Systems for Electrified Railways: Evolution, State of the Art, and Future Trends,” Railway Engineering Science, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 1-19, 2023.
CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[26] Ali Akbar Jamali et al., “Path Selection by Topographic Analysis: Vector Re-Classification Versus Raster Fuzzification as Spatial Multi-Criteria using Cost-Path,” Spatial Information Research, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 709-719, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[27] Sarah Frisch et al., “Integrated Freight Car Routing and Train Scheduling,” Central European Journal of Operations Research, vol. 31, no. 2. pp. 417-443, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[28] Daria Ivina, and Zhenliang Ma, “Stability Assessment of Railway Trackwork Scheduling in Sweden,” European Transport Research Review, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[29] Maurice Krauth, and Daniel Haalboom, “An Economic view on Rerouting Railway Wagons in a Single Wagonload Network to Avoid Congestion,” European Transport Research Review, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1-9, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[30] Bishal Sharma et al., “A Review of Passenger-Oriented Railway Rescheduling Approaches,” European Transport Research Review, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1-17, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[31] C. Castillo et al., “Towards Greener City Logistics: An Application of Agile Routing Algorithms to Optimize the Distribution of Micro-Hubs in Barcelona,” European Transport Research Review, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 1-22, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[32] Beibei Li, Jiansheng Zhu, and Wen Li. Railway, “Contactless Checkout Process with Identification Assisted by Gait Recognition,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[33] Mauro José Pappaterra, María Lucía Pappaterra, and Francesco Flammini, “A Study on the Application of Convolutional Neural Networks for the Maintenance of Railway Tracks,” Discover Artificial Intelligence, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1-20, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[34] Bing Li, Ce Yun, and Hua Xuan, “Integrated Optimization of Wagon Flow Routing and Train Formation Plan,” Operational Research, vol. 24, no. 3, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[35] Oliver Trembearth et al., “Spatial Digital Twin Framework for Overheight Vehicle Warning and Re-Routing System,” Urban Informatics, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-16, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[36] Shima Aghaee, Mehdi Alinaghian, and Mohammad Aghaee, “Robust Integrated Model for Traffic Routing Optimization and Train Formation Plan with Yard Capacity Constraints and Demand Uncertainty,” International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 407-415, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[37] Tie Zhang, Jia Cheng, and Yanbiao Zou, “Multimodal Transportation Routing Optimization based on Multi-Objective Q-Learning Under Time Uncertainty,” Complex and Intelligent Systems, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 3133-3152, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[38] Riccardo Caccavale et al., “A Multi-Robot Deep Q-Learning Framework for Priority-based Sanitization of Railway Stations,” Applied Intelligence, vol. 53, no. 17, pp. 20595-20613, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[39] Mahyar Sadrishojaei, and Faeze Kazemian, “Clustered Routing Scheme in IoT During COVID-19 Pandemic using Hybrid Black Widow Optimization and Harmony Search Algorithm,” Operations Research Forum, vol. 5, no. 2, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[40] Giacomo Basile et al., “Roadmap and Challenges for Reinforcement Learning Control in Railway Virtual Coupling,” Discover Artificial Intelligence, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[41] Nitidetch Koohathongsumrit, and Warapoj Meethom, “Route Selection in Multimodal Transportation Networks: A Hybrid Multiple Criteria Decision-Making Approach,” Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 171-185, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[42] Nitidetch Koohathongsumrit, and Wasana Chankham, “A Hybrid Approach of Fuzzy Risk Assessment-based Incenter of Centroid and MCDM Methods for Multimodal Transportation Route Selection,” Cogent Engineering, vol. 9, no. 1, pp, 1-31, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I1P109