Modes of Transport PDF

Centuries before the wheel was invented or animals were domesticated humans had invented primitive boats for crossing bodies of water. 71% of the earth\'s surface is covered with water, a means of transport across these bodies of water was essential for human exploration and development. Perhaps the...

Centuries before the wheel was invented or animals were domesticated humans had invented primitive boats for crossing bodies of water. 71% of the earth\'s surface is covered with water, a means of transport across these bodies of water was essential for human exploration and development. Perhaps the single biggest transport development, since the wheel, was the development of the power engine. It is hard to fully appreciate the importance the engine has had on human transport. But life today would not be possible without this amazing invention. Virtually all modern forms of transport including cars, cruise ships, airplanes, and trains are powered by engines. The engine has made rapid transport from one side of the globe to the other, not only possible, but fortunately for the travel industry, affordable. The history of transport in Europe is long and complex. In 1883, the Orient Express train began its first transcontinental service, carrying passengers from Paris to Constantinople (now Istanbul). Today there are high speed trains such as those listed below: AGV Italo (Italy) Alfa Pendular (Portugal) Altaria, Alvia, AVE and Euromed (Spain) Eurostar (Belgium - France - Great Britain) InterCity Express or ICE (Belgium - Netherlands - Germany - Switzerland - Denmark - France) La Frecce (formerly Eurostar Italia) Railjet (Austria - Germany - Switzerland - Hungary) Renfe-SNCF (Spain - France) SJ (Sweden - Denmark) SuperCity (Czech Republic) Talgo (Spain) Tres Grand Vitesse or TGV (Belgium - Italy - Germany - Spain - Switzerland - Luxembourg - France) TGV Lyria (Switzerland - France) Thalys (Belgium - the Netherlands - Germany - France) Velaro E (Spain) Italy\'s AVG Italo is the fastest operating train in Europe with a maximum operational speed of 360 kmph. The Channel Tunnel is a tunnel that carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains, the Eurotunnel Shuttle for road vehicles and is the largest such transport in the world. It is beneath the English Channel (Strait of Dover) that stretches for 50.5 kilometers linking Folkestone, Kent in the UK with Coquelles near Calais in northern France. The speed limit in the tunnel is 160 kph. (99 mph). The steam locomotive greatly influenced Europe\'s transport history when it was first introduced in the 1800\'s, as many European countries border either the Atlantic Ocean or one of several seas, water transport remains extremely important in most of Europe. Barges, ferries, passenger ships and other ocean- going vessels are vital, not only to the transport of goods and raw materials, but also to millions of traveling and commuting passengers. Inland waterway transport using rivers and their tributaries are also being strongly promoted in the European Union to relieve heavily congested car transportation corridors. From the nomad riding a camel in the Gobi Desert to the business commuter riding the 275-kilometer-per-hour bullet train in Japan, Asia demonstrates the transport extremes possible in the modern world. Because of Asia\'s huge population, every conceivable transport mode can be found in Asia. The most basic forms include animals such as camels, yaks, elephants and water buffaloes. But buses, trains, lorries (trucks), cars, ferries, bicycles, motorcycles and scooters are all an integral part of the Asian transport system. Even with the broad range of transport options a, great inconsistencies exist between regions in terms of adequacy and efficiency in the transport system. For example, only one third of India\'s villages are accessible by paved roads, and animal-drawn carts still outnumber motor vehicles. The country\'s railway system, however, is one of the most extensive in the world. The countries of Nepal and Bhutan have huge mountain ranges, which present an obstacle to land-based transport. In Bangladesh, the primary obstacle to effective transportation is the nation\'s poverty. In contrast, Japan has one of the most efficient public transport systems in the world. Japan\'s popular Shinkansen bullet train service plans to introduce to the fleet, the new maglev bullet trains by 2027. After recent test runs, it has proved to be the fastest in the world with a speed of 603 kph (374 mph). The term 'maglev' is derived from magnetic levitation which is the transport method to move the train without touching the ground. With maglev, the carriages travel along a guideway using magnets to both lift and propel, thus reducing friction. China is not far behind with the Shanghai Maglev Train also known as the Transrapid with a maximum operating speed of 431 kph. The line connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the outskirts of central Shanghai. It covers a distance of 30.5 km in 8 minutes. The Great Asia Highway is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It improves the highway systems in Asia by using a numbering system for roads. The network is numbered from AH1 up and its roads cross national borders Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest route of the Asian Highway Network running 20,557 km (12,774 miles) from Tokyo to the border between Turkey and Bulgaria west of Istanbul where it joins end-on with European route E80. It passes via Koreas, China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. North America contains a varied transportation system. The quality of its motorways are more on par with its European counterpart. By the early 1800\'s man-made canals linked the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes waterway to the Mississippi-Ohio river system. Today, this water system still serves as an important transport corridor linking many of the important economic centers of the continent. Railways also played a significant part in the development of North America, particularly the United States. The first transcontinental railway was completed in 1869 across the mid-section of the United States. By the 1920\'s cars gained popularity and so an extensive system of motorways connected the major metropolitan areas. Alaska is currently not connected to the North American rail network. However, there are scenic tours out of Skagway to the Canadian Yukon but no connection to the Alaska Railroad. In the early 1970\'s commercial jet aircraft became widely available and popular as a form of both commercial and personal transport. Currently there are more than 2000 commercial airports in the United States, which serve over 500 million passengers annually---approximately half of the world\'s total flights. This staggering figure signals not only the importance of commercial jet aircraft to transport in the United States, but also the potential difficulties including increased air congestion and noise and air pollution. In the countries to the south of the United States---Mexico and Central America---the transport systems are less developed and reliable. Several natural, geographic and cultural factors including dense jungles, political instability and poverty have hindered development of transport systems in much of the region. Nevertheless, in recent years economic progress and regional stability has resulted in the development of a new and effective transport infrastructure. With increasing pressure on the continent\'s road and airport capacity, North America is evaluating development of magnetic levitation---high-speed train transport---to complement existing means of transport. Transport in South America, both from the standpoint of development and infrastructure, is similar to that in southern North America (i.e. Mexico and Central America), except that the continent\'s vast size and large natural barriers make transport more difficult here than for its neighbors to the north. There are vast expanses in South America, such as that of the Amazon basin, that are connected only by waterways and air transport. The rugged and massive Andes mountain range, which runs down South America like a geological spine, also creates transport barriers that can be overcome only by air transport. In certain mountainous regions of some countries, such as Peru and Bolivia, the only effective means of transport are walking and using domesticated animals such as burros and llamas. In other parts of South America, such as Brazil, waterways are the only effective way of reaching the outside world. Railways are well developed in southern Brazil and Argentina, but in many areas their efficiency is limited by varying sizes of tracks and the prevalence of single-track systems, which do not permit bi-directional traffic flow. In land-locked South American countries and regions, geography presents real challenges to commerce. For example, Bolivia must export sugar via Chile, and Paraguay must send its cotton by way of Argentina. Land-locked Bolivia sends natural gas by way of pipeline to Argentina, and the city of Iquitos, located in the jungles of Peru, sends oil to Brazil via barge on inland waterways. Africa is a very large continent. African tourism enjoys a diversified and attractive heritage, culture and natural landscapes. It has an expansive coastline covering 26,000 km (16,000miles) providing opportunities for sea- based tourism products including cruises and water sports. The continent hosts important sporting events such as the African Cup of Nations. The travel and tourism industry is vital to the African economy. Just over a billion tourists cross Africa's borders every year, over half arriving by air. When compared to road, rail or water transportation, aviation is really most convenient way to get around. This is because many countries in Africa are land-locked, surrounded on all sides by other country borders. Africa's air services are not as well connected as those on other continents. A journey from one African country to another may cross multiple borders. Sometimes, the only way to get from one country in Africa to another is via another continent or via a longer connection. Improved air routes within Africa facilitates business and trade, enables tourism, connects friends, families and cultures, and promotes the exchange of knowledge and ideas. The African Union Agenda 2063 is a plan focused on continued economic improvement in all African states. One of the plan's projects, named the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), is working to unify Africa's air transport market and improve intra-Africa market access. The SAATM is: increasing air connectivity across the continent reducing the air passenger's journey and waiting time decreasing the cost of air transportation creating more tourism jobs. Other initiatives enhancing travel within Africa are: eliminating visa requirements for African Union citizens reducing ticket taxes and airport charges coordinating tourist events promoting multicity vacations. The implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063 will be key for tourism growth in Africa. The outlook for African tourism is positive due to a growing, youthful population coupled with a quickly-growing middle-income class with the desire to travel. In Africa, air transport supports 6.2 million jobs & \$55.8 billion of GDP. Aviation is an important tool for development and, as on any continent, can improve economic and social benefits across Africa. Australia is the least populous of the inhabited continents. Nevertheless, Australia covers a large geographic area. The continent\'s overall size, coupled with distances between metropolitan areas and outlying farm settlements and mining towns, make transport challenging. A 16,000-kilometer national main road system connects all of the major metropolitan areas of the continent. Over 70 percent of all domestic passenger movements within Australia occur on roads. Driving remains by far the preferred means of transport within cities and for trips up to 400 kilometers. Based on current trends, congestion will increase, imposing burdens on those living in cities and to the Australian economy. Maritime activity grew strongly in the decade to 2011-12. The number of cruise vessels operating in Australia continues to increase. Australian cruise passen- ger numbers more than doubled, with New South Wales and Queensland accounting for two thirds of Australian cruise passengers. Public transport use has been increasing in all capital cities since 2004. Currently, one in six people in the capital cities uses mass transit for daily commuting. In addition to sea and car travel, railways now link most major Australian cities. Passenger rail is generally given priority over freight services in cities. Rail makes up a very small portion of passenger kilometers, but it has been growing faster than either passenger car or bus transport. Aviation contributes over \$32 billion to Australia\'s GDP. It directly employs 149,000 people and over 160,000 people indirectly. Continued passenger growth at major airports is already testing the capacity of airport infrastructure, particularly during peak periods. International air travel will grow strongly to Looking to the future, there is the Moscow-Kazan High-Speed Railway. The track is a joint project of Moscow and Beijing. It is a 770 kilometer long high- speed railway line connecting the two major cities of Moscow and Kazan in the Russian Federation. The project is expected to be completed by 2020. It is slated to be the first phase of an ambitious transnational high-speed railway set to connect Beijing and Moscow over a distance of over 7,000 km. China is developing a new generation of trains capable of reaching speeds of 400 km/hr for use in this railway. Presently, the journey from Moscow to Kazan takes 12 hours but with this new railway, it will be reduced to just 3.5 hours. The Moscow-Kazan route may become part of a US\$ 100 billion high-speed railway between Moscow and Beijing. The railway may also be connected to Beijing\'s New Silk Road project, which will link China to markets in Europe and the Middle East.