Transport in India

Get an insight about How transport in India started and by whom? From the history of transportation in India to the present scenario of Transportation.  The different transport services in India. Later, you will get to know about different types of Transport. Get a glimpse of Types of Road Transport in India.

The whole transport infrastructure of India is dependent on three main factors: waterways, airways, and roadways. 

Transport in India

India has the second-largest road transportation system in the World. A transportation system transports people and things from one location to another. Nowadays, transportation is dominated by machines. Our economy’s main arteries are transportation routes or channels.

They serve as vital conduits between product suppliers and users. People are fairly close to each other thanks to the well-unit transportation infrastructure. They encourage people’s freedom in an economically, socially, and culturally diverse world. A transportation network encompasses a variety of modes of transportation.

History of Transport in India 

In India, Road Transportation was started by Sher Shah Suri. He built the first road from Indus Valley to Sonar Valley in Bengal,Kabul (Afghanistan) to Peshawar (Pakistan) to Punjab (India)  to Bengal (India)

This road route in Ramayana is referred to as Uttarapath. Uttarapath road is also called Shah Rah-E-Azam, Sadak-E- Azam, and The Long Walk. The same road is later known as Grand Trunk Road by Colonials. 

Presently, GT Road consists of the same road, and It is called with the same name. After partition, It connects the route of Amritsar to Calcutta.  

Different Types of Transport in India 

India has different types of Road Transport in India. Transportation systems can broadly be divided into three categories:

• Land Transport 

Roadways: The total length of Road Transport is 62,15,797 km. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways classified 2 Types of Road Transport in India as 1.52 lakh km long National Highway and 1.76 km Expressways. 

Important Event in India:

Nagpur Plan in 1943: This plan is all about classifying the Indian Land transport system into four categories- National Highway, State Highway, District Road, and Village road and specifying each road with colors like yellow & white(National Highway), green & white (State Highway), black & white(City Roads), and Orange & White (Village Road). 

Railway:  Indian Railways is the 4th largest and second busiest network in the world. India has a 62000km railway line. 

Firstly, the Railway line was established by Lord Dalhousie in 1954. Moreover, He tried to cover the 34 km distance from Bombay to thane. Indian Railways is divided into 17 zones. According to reports, the Northern Railway Zone of India is the largest one. Railways in India got nationalization in 1950. 

Some Important facts about Indian Railways:

1. Indian Fastest train is Vande Bharata Express. 
2. Fastest operating train Gatimaan Express. 
3. The World’s Longest Railway station is Gorakhpur Railway Station in U.P.
4. According to reports, the Indian government will be launching the first-ever India bullet train in India in 2022. The route will be Mumbai to Ahmedabad. 
5. Different zones of Indian Railways are central, western, northern, eastern, southern, northern eastern, southeastern, southwestern, northwestern, east coast, south coastal, both central, south-central, west-central, east-central, northeast Frontier, and Kolkata Metro.
6. Diamond Quadrilateral Project for connecting major metro cities of India- Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. 

Pipelines: Pipelines help in transporting oil, natural gases, and mineral ores. We can send solids(coal), liquids(water), gas (LPG Gas), and petroleum(crude oil) products. 

The top 6 major Pipelines in India are mentioned below:

1. Pipeline of Naharkatia to Nunmati Barauni
2. Pipeline of Mumbai-high to kayoli
3. Pipeline of Salaya to Mathura
4. Gas Pipeline of Hazira to Jagdishpur
5. LPG Pipeline of Jamnagar to Loni
6. Pipeline of Kandla to Bhatinda

• Water Transport 

Indian Waterland is the 7th biggest aquatic country in India. Waterways of India are considered the cheapest mode of transport. Water Transport is divided into three parts: Inland Waterways, Coastal waterways, and International Sea Routes. The National Ways of India are mentioned below:

1. Allahabad to Haldia (NW-1)
2. Sadiya to Dhubri (NW-2) 
3. Kottapuram to Kollam (NW-3)
4. Kakinada to Pondicherry (NW-4)
5. Talcher to Paradip (NW-5)
6. Lakhipur to Bhanga (NW-6)

• Air Transport 

All works related to airways are managed and controlled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Indian Airways was nationalized in 1953. The longest runway of 4km is Indira Gandhi International Airport in India. The oldest airport in India is Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai.  

Domestic Airways: A total 123 number of commercial flights are in India. 

International Airways: Presently, India has 35 international airports. 

Transport Infrastructure in India 

In the later 18th century, the Indian railway networks had spread across 6000 miles. The whole system was in control of Britishers. During that period, five railway companies were established. 

Facts about earlier Transport Infrastructure in India 

• Only controlled by colonials.
• Indian railway only faced losses
• The railway was a reflection of British Imperialism. 
• Helpful for import and export 
• Played as a symbol of integration and nationalism
• Starting of 19th century full of profits and investments 

Facts about current Transport Infrastructure in India

National Rail Plan: 30 years-long plan for railways development from 2021 to 2051. It’s based on the privatization of the Indian Railways. 

NHAI: The National Highways Authority of India is an independent agency of the Government of India which was set up in 1995 and is mainly responsible for management of a network of over 50,000 km of National Highways.

AAI: Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages about 125 airports with the responsibility of creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation.

Golden Quadrilateral is a national highway network connecting most of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. 

Conclusion

The journey of Indian railways is no less than an adventure. The life of people has changed with Transport in India. The transport infrastructure of India is dependent on different types of transportation facilities. The history of transport facilities in India lies in the different types of road transport in India. Transport services of India are advancing from year to year.