Land Transport in India
NCERT Class 10 • Contemporary India II • Chapter "Lifelines of National Economy" | NCERT Class 12 • India People and Economy • Chapter "Transport and Communication"
Land Transport in India
Transport carries people and goods from one place to another and is called a lifeline of the economy because production has no value until it reaches the market. India's land transport rests mainly on roads and railways, supported by pipelines for oil and gas.
Road Transport
- India has one of the largest road networks in the world, and roads now carry more freight than railways.
- Roads are cheaper to build in hills and broken ground, reach villages that railways cannot, and give door to door service.
- National highways link state capitals, ports and big cities, and are maintained by a central authority.
- State highways link the state capital with district headquarters; district roads connect district centres with the rest of the district.
- Village roads built under rural road programmes connect villages to the nearest market and town.
- Border roads built by the Border Roads Organisation serve strategic hill and border areas.
- Roads are also classed by material as metalled and unmetalled.
Railways and Pipelines
- Indian Railways is the principal mode for long distance bulk freight and passenger travel and is one of the largest employers in the country.
- The first train in India ran between Mumbai and Thane in 1853.
- The network is managed through zones, each with its own headquarters.
- Track is classed by gauge: broad, metre and narrow; the programme of converting all lines to broad gauge is called uni gauge.
- Railways run less easily across the Himalaya, the Thar desert and swampy Sundarbans because of relief and cost.
- Pipelines carry crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas; they need high initial cost but very low running cost.
- Once built, a pipeline cannot be repaired easily if it leaks, and it cannot be shifted.
| Road Class | Links | Maintained By |
|---|---|---|
| National highway | Capitals, ports, big cities | Central authority |
| State highway | State capital to district headquarters | State PWD |
| District road | District centre to blocks | Zila Parishad |
| Village road | Villages to markets | Rural road programme |
Uni gauge — the policy of converting all railway tracks to a single broad gauge for smooth through movement.
Hindi me samjhein
सड़क परिवहन द्वार से द्वार तक सेवा देता है, इसलिए कम दूरी और छोटे माल के लिए सस्ता पड़ता है। रेल लंबी दूरी पर भारी माल के लिए अधिक किफायती रहती है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- India's first train ran between — Mumbai and Thane
- The first train ran in the year — 1853
- Roads in strategic border areas are built by — Border Roads Organisation
- Converting all tracks to broad gauge is called — uni gauge
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Pipelines have a high fixed cost and a very low variable cost, which is why they suit continuous bulk flow but not variable or seasonal demand.
- Railways struggle in the Sundarbans and the Himalaya for different reasons — waterlogged unstable ground in one case and steep unstable slopes in the other.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Railways carry more freight than roads in India | Roads now carry a larger share of freight | ✓
✗ National highways are maintained by state governments | They are maintained by a central authority | ✓
✗ Pipelines have high running cost | They have high initial cost but low running cost | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Roads: national, state, district, village and border roads.
- Roads give door to door service; railways carry long distance bulk.
- First train Mumbai to Thane in 1853; network runs in zones.
- Pipelines: high initial cost, low running cost, cannot be shifted.