Transport

• A well coordinated system of transport is the lifeline and foundation of India's economic infrastructure,
• Main modes of transport - Roadways, Railway, Waterways, Airways.
• Roads are more significant as they provide door to door service, facilitate long distance travel and are the cheapest means to connect villages to urban areas.
• Classification of roads:

  • Expressways
  • National Highways
• Golden Quadrilateral:

  • State highways
  • District roads
  • Village roads
  • International highways
  • Border roads
• Expressways are multiplane, well paved highways used for the movement of goods and traffic.
• India's first expressway - Ahmedabad Vadodara Expressway or National Expressway 1 or Mahatma Gandhi Expressway - is in Gujarat connecting Ahmedabad and Vadodara
• National Highways are maintained by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). and link far places. The highway between Varanasi and Kanyakumari is one of the longest.
• Main National Highway connects main cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, etc.\
• To boost trade and economy, government adopted the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is an autonomous agency of the government responsible for the management of over 60000km of National Highways in India.
• The Golden Quadrilateral Project is being implemented by the NHAI. It is a highway network connecting the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centers of India. It forms a quadrilateral connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
• ESCAP - Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• BRO - Border Roads Organisation.
• Road transport is most favored in the Northern Plains in India because of their flat level lands, soft alluvial plains, agricultural produce and high population density.
• The first railway line in India was laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853.
• Indian railway has 3 different gauges - Broad, Narrow and Meter.
• Broad gauge is the most used, and links major cities in the country.
• Sealdah - Delhi Duranto is the fastest long distance train.
• Meter gauge is used mainly in Northern UP, Bihar, Assam, etc. and western Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Narrow gauge is used in mountainous regions of Shimla, Siliguri, etc.
• Railway network is divided in to 16 zones.
• Railways have helped in setting up many industries such as Bhilai, Rourkela and Durgapur.
• Metro is an underground railway system that runs underground in a city or town.
• Railways are important in the Northern Plains of India as the flat level of the Northern Ganga Plain with high population density provides ideal conditions.
• Air Transport is the fastest means of transportation.
• 1995 - merging of the International Airports Authority of India and National Airport Authority.
• Airport classification:

  • International
  • Domestic
  • Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.
• Airways, along with being the fastest means of transport, is also free from geographical constraints and has great strategic importance.
• Air transport is important in the North East region of India due to its difficult terrain.
• Disadvantages of Air Transport:

  • Competition
  • Expensive
  • Lack of Funds
  • Strikes
  • Poor service quality
• Waterways are the cheapest means of transport in India. IT is fuel efficient and environment friendly and suitable for carrying heavy products.
• Types of Waterways:

  • Inland Waterway
  • Coastal Shipping
• The Central Water Transport Corporation (CWTC) was set up in 1957 and engages in transport of goods by inland waterways.
• IWAI - Inland Waterway Authority of India.
• National waterways - Ganga and Brahmaputra carry large part of river traffic.
• National Waterway 1 - Ganga river from Allahabad to Haldia, longest national waterway in India.

  National Waterway 2 - Brahmaputra river from Sadia to Dhubri in Assam.

  National Waterway 3 - in Kerala from Kollan to Kottapuram.

  National Waterway 4 - Kakinada to Pondicherry, second longest waterway of India.

  National Waterway 5 - Odisha to West Bengal.