Land Transport

Land transport in India has ancient roots — pathways and unmetalled roads were the earliest means of moving people and goods. As the economy and technology advanced, metalled roads and railways were built to handle larger volumes. Specialised systems like ropeways, cableways, and pipelines later emerged to transport specific goods under particular conditions.

Road Transport

India has the second largest road network in the world, with a total length of about 62.16 lakh km (as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Annual Report 2020-21).

Before World War II, modern road transport was very limited in India. The first serious attempt to plan roads came in 1943 with the Nagpur Plan, but it could not be implemented due to a lack of coordination between the princely states and British India. After Independence, a twenty-year road plan (1961) was introduced to improve road conditions. Despite these efforts, roads remained concentrated in and around urban centres, leaving rural and remote areas with the least connectivity.

Roads are classified for construction and maintenance purposes into:

• National Highways (NH)
• State Highways (SH)
• Major District Roads
• Rural Roads

Road transport carries about 85 per cent of passenger traffic and 70 per cent of freight traffic every year. It is relatively more suitable for shorter distance travel.

National Highways

National Highways are the main roads constructed and maintained by the Central Government. They are designed for inter-state transport and the movement of defence personnel and material in strategic areas. They also connect state capitals, major cities, important ports, railway junctions, and so on.

The length of National Highways has grown from 19,700 km in 1951 to 1,36,440 km in 2020. Although National Highways constitute only about 2 per cent of the total road length, they carry 40 per cent of the road traffic.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was operationalised in 1995. It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Surface Transport, responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of National Highways. It is the apex body for improving the quality of these roads.

National Highways Development Projects

NHAI has taken up major projects under different phases:

• Golden Quadrilateral: A 5,846 km long, 4/6 lane, high-density traffic corridor connecting India's four big metro cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. Its construction aims to considerably minimise the time, distance, and cost of movement among these mega cities.

• North-South and East-West Corridors:

  • The North-South Corridor aims to connect Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) with Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu), including the Cochin-Salem spur, covering 4,076 km.
  • The East-West Corridor plans to connect Silchar (Assam) with Porbandar (Gujarat), covering 3,640 km.

State Highways

These are constructed and maintained by state governments. They join state capitals with district headquarters and other important towns. State Highways are connected to the National Highways.

District Roads

These roads serve as the connecting link between District Headquarters and other important nodes within the district.

Rural Roads

Rural roads are vital for providing links in rural areas. About 80 per cent of the total road length in India is categorised as rural roads. There is significant regional variation in their density because it is strongly influenced by the nature of the terrain.

Other Roads

This category includes Border Roads and International Highways.

• Border Road Organisation (BRO): Established in May 1960, the BRO is a premier multifaceted construction agency. Its purpose is to accelerate economic development and strengthen defence preparedness through rapid and coordinated improvement of strategically important roads along the northern and north-eastern boundary of the country. It has constructed roads in high-altitude mountainous terrain, including the road joining Chandigarh with Manali (Himachal Pradesh) and Leh (Ladakh), which runs at an average altitude of 4,270 metres above mean sea level. Apart from construction and maintenance, the BRO also undertakes snow clearance in high-altitude areas.

• Atal Tunnel: The world's longest highway tunnel, 9.02 km long, has been built by the BRO. It connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Before the tunnel, the valley was cut off for about six months each year due to heavy snowfall. The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres from mean sea level.

• International Highways: These are meant to promote harmonious relationships with neighbouring countries by providing effective links with India.

Rail Transport

The Indian Railways network is one of the longest in the world. It facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes significantly to the growth of the economy. Mahatma Gandhi noted that the railways "brought people of diverse cultures together to contribute to India's freedom struggle."

Indian Railways was introduced in 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane, covering a distance of 34 km. It is the largest government undertaking in the country. The total length of the network was 67,956 km (Railway yearbook 2019-20).

Because of its very large size, a centralised management system faces immense pressure. Therefore, the railway system has been divided into 17 zones.

Classification by Track Width

Indian Railways has three categories of tracks based on the width between the rails: