7.1 Transport — A Service for Movement

Transport^? is a service or facility for the carriage of persons and goods from one place to the other using humans, animals and different kinds of vehicles. Such movements take place over land, water and air. Roads and railways form part of land transport; shipping and waterways and airways are the other two modes; and pipelines carry liquid materials such as petroleum, natural gas and ores in liquidified form. Transport is, in NCERT's words, "an organised service industry created to satisfy the basic needs of society" — including transport arteries (roads, rail-tracks, sea-lanes, air-corridors), the vehicles that ply on them, and the organisation that keeps them open and handles loading, unloading and delivery.

Every nation has developed various kinds of transportation for defence purposes too. Assured and speedy transport, along with efficient communication, promote cooperation and unity among scattered peoples. Without it, regional specialisation, mass production and global trade would all collapse.

SVG — The Four Principal Modes of Transport

Figure 7.1: The four principal modes of transport. The choice depends on the cargo, distance and cost.

From Palanquin to Pipeline — A Short Evolution

In early days humans were themselves the carriers; later animals were used as beasts of burden. The invention of the wheel made carts and wagons important. The real revolution came with the steam engine in the eighteenth century. The first public railway line is widely credited to the Liverpool–Manchester Railway opened in 1830, with George Stephenson's locomotive — though an even earlier line ran between Stockton and Darlington in 1825. From the nineteenth century onwards, railways became the most popular and fastest form of transport. They opened up continental interiors for commercial grain farming, mining and manufacturing in the U.S.A. The internal combustion engine then revolutionised road transport with motor cars and trucks. Among the newer developments are pipelines, ropeways and cableways, used to carry mineral oil, water, sludge and sewers. The great freight carriers today are railways, ocean vessels, barges, motor trucks and pipelines.

7.2 Land Transport — Roads

Road transport is the most economical mode for short distances compared to railways. Freight transport by road is gaining importance because it offers door-to-door service. But unmetalled roads, though simple in construction, are not effective and serviceable for all seasons; in the rainy season they become unmotorable, and even metalled ones are seriously handicapped during heavy rains and floods. Roads, therefore, play a vital role in a nation's trade and commerce and for promoting tourism.

The world's total motorable road length is only about 15 million km, of which North America accounts for 33 per cent. The highest road density and the largest number of registered vehicles are in this continent compared to Western Europe. Traffic flow^? on roads has grown dramatically; when the network cannot cope, congestion occurs. City roads suffer from chronic congestion at peak hours, especially during the rush before and after work.

Highways — The Big Arteries

Highways^? are metalled roads connecting distant places and are constructed in a manner that allows unobstructed vehicular movement. They are typically 80 m wide, with separate traffic lanes, bridges, flyovers and dual carriageways. In North America, highway density is about 0.65 km per sq km and every place is within 20 km of a highway. The Pacific coast cities are well-connected to the Atlantic coast, and Canadian cities in the north link to those of Mexico in the south.

India's Road Hierarchy

For construction and maintenance, Indian roads are classified into a four-tier hierarchy. NCERT also notes that about 85 per cent of passenger and 70 per cent of freight traffic in India is carried by roads every year.

7.3 Land Transport — Railways

Railways^? are a mode of land transport for bulky goods and passengers over long distances. The first major public railway, the Liverpool–Manchester Railway opened in 1830, used Stephenson's locomotive and triggered the railway revolution. Railway gauges vary by country — broad (more than 1.5 m), standard (1.44 m, used in the U.K.), metre gauge (1 m) and smaller narrow gauges. There are about 13 lakh km of railways open for traffic in the world.

Europe has one of the densest rail networks — about 4,40,000 km, mostly double or multiple-tracked. Belgium has the highest density: 1 km of railway for every 6.5 sq km of area. Important rail-heads include London, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Berlin and Warsaw. Underground railways are vital in London and Paris. The Channel Tunnel, operated by the Euro Tunnel Group through England, connects London with Paris via the Eurostar high-speed train. North America has the most extensive rail network — nearly 40% of the world's total — used more for long-distance bulky freight than passenger transport. Russia alone runs about 90% of its total transport on rails, with Moscow as the key hub.

SVG — Map of Trans-Continental Railways

Figure 7.2: Schematic map of the world's major trans-continental railway lines.

The World's Great Trans-Continental Railways

Trans-continental railways^? run across a continent and link its two ends. They were constructed for both economic and political reasons to facilitate long runs in different directions.

Chart — World's Longest Railway Networks

Figure 7.3: World's longest railway networks (approx. route km). Data source: NCERT and standard railway statistics.

7.4 Pipelines — The Quiet Carriers

Pipelines^? are used extensively to transport liquids and gases such as water, petroleum and natural gas for an uninterrupted flow. Cooking gas (LPG) is supplied through pipelines in many parts of the world. Pipelines can also carry liquidified coal, and in New Zealand milk is supplied through pipelines from farms to factories.

In the U.S.A. there is a dense network of oil pipelines from producing areas to consuming areas. Big Inch is one famous pipeline that carries petroleum from the oil wells of the Gulf of Mexico to the North-eastern States. About 17 per cent of all freight per tonne-km in the U.S.A. is moved through pipelines. In Europe, Russia, West Asia and India, pipelines connect oil wells to refineries and to ports or domestic markets. Turkmenistan in Central Asia has extended pipelines to Iran and to parts of China. The proposed Iran-India via Pakistan oil-and-gas pipeline (TAPI/IPI family) is intended to be one of the longest in the world.

7.5 Water Transport — Sea Routes

One great advantage of water transport is that it does not require route construction. The oceans are linked with each other and are negotiable with ships of various sizes; all that is needed is port facilities at the two ends. It is also much cheaper because the friction of water is far less than that of land, so the energy cost is lower. Modern liners and cargo ships are equipped with radar, wireless and other navigation aids; refrigerated chambers, tankers and containers have improved cargo transport. Water transport is divided into sea routes and inland waterways.

SVG — Major World Sea Routes

Figure 7.4: World's major sea routes — the busy arteries of global commerce.

The Major Sea Routes

SVG — Suez vs Panama Canal (Cross-Section Comparison)

Figure 7.5: Suez (sea-level) versus Panama (six-lock system) — two canals that reshaped global trade.

The Two Great Shipping Canals

The Suez and Panama Canals are the world's two vital man-made navigation gateways.

• Suez Canal — built in 1869 in Egypt between Port Said in the north and Port Suez in the south, linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is a sea-level canal without locks, about 160 km long and 11–15 m deep. About 100 ships travel daily; each takes 10–12 hours to cross. A railway and a fresh-water canal from the Nile run alongside. It handles roughly 1.5% of world trade.
• Panama Canal — built by the U.S. government in 1914 across the Panama Isthmus between Panama City and Colon. It is about 72 km long with a six-lock system that lifts ships 26 m up and 26 m down through Gatun Lake. It cut the New York – San Francisco sea distance by 13,000 km. Though smaller in absolute traffic, it is vital for the economies of Latin America and handles roughly 5% of world trade.

7.6 Inland Waterways

Rivers, canals, lakes and coastal areas have been important waterways since time immemorial. Their development depends on navigability — the width and depth of the channel, continuity in water flow, and the transport technology in use. Heavy cargo like coal, cement, timber and metallic ores can be moved cheaply through inland waterways. In ancient India and China, rivers were the main highways. They later lost importance because of competition from railways, water diversion for irrigation, and poor maintenance — though many have since been modified by dredging, stabilising banks and building dams & barrages.

7.7 Air Transport — The Fastest Mode

Air transport is the fastest means of transportation, but it is also the most expensive. Being fast, it is preferred by passengers for long-distance travel, and valuable cargo can be moved rapidly worldwide. It is often the only means to reach inaccessible areas — the airplane brings goods to Eskimos in northern Canada across frozen ground, and in the Himalayas it is often the only way through after landslides or heavy snow. "At present no place in the world is more than 35 hours away." Today more than 250 commercial airlines offer regular services to different parts of the world; U.S.A. alone accounts for 60 per cent of the airways of the world.

In the Northern Hemisphere a distinct east-west belt of inter-continental air routes exists. Dense networks operate in Eastern U.S.A., Western Europe and Southeast Asia. Nodal cities where routes converge include New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, Moscow, Karachi, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. Africa, Asiatic Russia and South America lack air services over wide regions due to sparse population and limited economic development. The modern airline business uses a hub-and-spoke model — passengers connect through giant hubs (Atlanta, Dubai, Frankfurt) rather than fly point-to-point — and inter-continental satellite consortia like INTELSAT coordinate routing and communications.

Chart — World Cargo by Mode (Indicative)

Figure 7.6: Indicative share of world freight tonne-km by mode. Sea dominates global trade; rail dominates inland bulk; air carries little tonnage but high value.