Edinburgh Napier University

  Delays in the implementation and commissioning of rail transportation projects can cause economic dam-ages to project stakeholders and the cities linked by such rail networks. Hence, the current study aims toinvestigate the key delay factors and provides salient recommendations. In this study, multi-criteria deci-sion-making–the Analytic Network Process (ANP) and the DEMATEL (Decision Making trial and evalu-ation laboratory) method was employed to help decision-makers in prioritizing these delay factors andevaluating their interactions, respectively. A Delphi approach was used to validate the study’s findings viaexpert questionnaire surveys–based on a rail transportation development project for the MobarakehSteel Complex (MSC). The study’s findings revealed the management factors as the most important delayfactors, followed closely by the financial, design, and implementation factors. Other potent issues includethe existence of numerous decision-making stations, lack of central role, and sufficient authority for theproject managers are responsible for project delays. Overall, the results show that resolving problemswith the‘management’domain can significantly avoid or alleviate the extent of delays in rail transporta-tion development projects. The study’s findings and recommendations can serve as a policy and consulta-tive instrument for the relevant stakeholders in the railway industry.