Abstract The adverse environmental consequences arising from road-based logistics operations have prompted stakeholders, including transport service providers, logistics managers, and shippers, to initiate a modal shift from unimodal road to intermodal railroad (IRR) freight transportation. However, the adoption pace of IRR in developing nations is slow. Modal shift enablers (MSEs) facilitate IRR adoption, while modal shift benefits (MSBs) signify favorable performance outcomes from MSEs' application. The main objective of this study is to rank the MSBs resulting from the adoption of MSEs in IRR freight transportation. This study proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making framework utilizing the spherical fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (SF-AHP) to evaluate MSEs' weights and the spherical fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (SF-TOPSIS) to rank the MSBs. The case study performed in the Indian logistics sector reveals that ‘government policies and legislation enablers’, ‘infrastructural enablers’ and ‘strategic and management enablers’ are the most significant MSEs, whereas reduction in vehicular pollution and related negative externalities as well as reduction of the freight transport costs including storage and handling charges are most crucial MSBs realized due to adoption of MSEs. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the stability of the ranking. The results help decision-makers in implementing MSEs for MSBs and develop effective IRR adoption strategies. This study also promotes sustainable freight transportation and provides logistics practitioners, researchers, and policymakers with a precise, systematic, and practical decision-support tool.

Highlights • 36 enablers of modal shift to intermodal railroad (IRR) transport were identified. • 15 benefits realized through adoption of modal shift enablers were recognized. • An empirical case analysis was conducted in the Indian logistics sector. • A hybrid framework of SF-AHP and SF-TOPSIS approach was applied. • It helps stakeholders to understand the key enablers and benefits of IRR adoption.