Geography

By
Abhishek Bhattacharjee
 My Story

A Devoted Faculty of RICE Education

Masters in Geography ,UGC NET qualified

6+ Years of Experience in Competitive Fields

 Believe in Hard & Smart work

Always There for You

Abhishek Bhattacharjee
 Chapter: 11
TRANSPORT [ROAD, RAIL, WATER TRANSPORT]
 Content(S)
Discussion on Roadways of India
Discussion on Railway of India
Discussion of Water ways of India
 Transport System in India

The transport system in India includes Rail

transport, Road transport, Air transport, water
transport, and portal connectivity.
India
. has one of the largest road networks in the
world, the largest railway system in Asia, and the
second-largest in the world.
The use of transport and communication depends
upon our need to move things from place of their
availability to the place of their use.
Human-beings use various methods to move goods,
commodities, ideas from one place to another.
 Road Transport in India
The pathways and unmetalled roads have been used for transportation in India since ancient times.
With the economic and technological development, metalled roads and railways were developed to move
large volumes of goods and people from one place to another.
Roads happen to be the most popular mode of transportation.
India has one of the largest road networks in the world with a total length of 62,15,797kilometers as of 31
March 2020.
About 85 percent of passengers and 70 percent of freight traffic are carried by roads every year.
. Road transport is relatively suitable for shorter distance travel.

Classification
For the purpose of construction and maintenance, roads are classified as
National Highways (NH),
State Highways (SH),
Major District Roads,
Rural Roads.
Expressway
Border Roads
 National Highways
The main roads which are constructed and
maintained by the Central Government are
known as the National Highways.
These roads are meant for inter-state
transport and movement of defense men and
material
. in strategic areas.
These also connect the state capitals, major
cities, important ports, railway junctions, etc.
The National Highways constitute only 2
percent of the total road length but carry 40
percent of the road traffic.
India has 151,019 km (93,839 mi) of
National Highways as of March 2021.
National Highways constituted 2.7% of
India’s total road network, but carried about
40% of road traffic, as of 2013.
 National Highway Authority of India
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up
under NHAI Act, 1988. It is under the administrative control of
the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
It has been entrusted with the National Highways
Development Project, along with other minor projects for
development, maintenance and management.
National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is a project to
upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a
.higher standard. The project was started in 1998.
NHAI (an autonomous authority) maintains the National
Highways network to global standards and cost effective
manner and promotes economic well being and quality of life of the
people.
It has completed construction of 3,979 km of national highways
in the financial Year 2019-20.
NHAI has mandated development of about 27,500 km of
national highways under Bharatmala Pariyojna Phase-I.
Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the
highways sector that focuses on optimizing efficiency of freight
and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical
infrastructure gaps through effective interventions.
 Miscellaneous Information

The longest National Highway is NH44, which runs

between Srinagar in Jammu and
Kashmir and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, covering a distance of
3,806 km (2,365 mi).
The second longest NH in India is National Highway 27 (NH 27).
The
. shortest National Highway is NH118, which spans 5km
from Asanbani to Jamshedpur(Jharkhand).
The Leh–Manali
Highway connecting Leh in Ladakh to Manali in Himachal
Pradesh is the world’s second highest-altitude motorable
highway.
The first National Highway in India was the old NH-1. It linked
the National capital Delhi to Attari in Punjab near Indo-Pak Border.
Now as per the new numbering system, NH 1 runs between Union
Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Maximum number of NH are in UP .
Maximum Length of NH lies in the state of Maharastra.
Minimum no and Length of NH lies in Sikkim(1),NH-31A- Sevok
to Gangtok- 92kms.
 Important National Highways
Old National Highway Number New National Highway Number States/UTs Through which it Passes
NH 1 A and NH 1 D NH 1 Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh
NH 1 B NH 244 Jammu & Kashmir
Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West
NH 2 NH 19 (Golden Quadrilateral)
Bengal
NH 2A NH 519 Uttar Pradesh
NH 2B NH 114 West Bengal
NH 3
NH 60 Maharashtra
NH 50
NH 223 NH 4 Andaman & Nicobar Islands
.
NH 4 A NH 748 Goa, Karnataka
NH 4 B NH 348 Maharashtra
NH 5
NH 6
NH 16 (Golden Quadrilateral) Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
NH 60
NH 217
NH 7 NH 135 Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
NH 7 A NH 138 Tamil Nadu
Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
NH 8 NH 48 (Golden Quadrilateral)
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
NH 8 A NH 41 Gujarat
NH 8 C NH 147 Gujarat
NH 8 D NH 151 Gujarat
NH 17
NH 66 (Parallel to the Western Ghats) Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu
NH 47
NH 9 NH 65 Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana
 National Highway Networks:

.
 Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral (Hindi: स्वर्णिम चतु र्ुिज, romanized: Svarnim
Chaturbhuj; abbreviated GQ)comprises construction of 5,846 km long 4/6
lane, high-density traffic corridor, to connect India’s four big metro cities of
Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata.
The project was started in 2001 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee under the
NDA government and was completed in January 2012.
With the construction of the Golden Quadrilateral, the time-distance and
cost
. of movement among the megacities of India will be considerably
minimized.

No. Segment Length Completed

1,453 km
1. Delhi–Kolkata 31 August 2011
(903 mi)
1,290 km
2. Chennai–Mumbai 31 August 2011
(800 mi)
1,684 km
3. Kolkata–Chennai 31 May 2013
(1,046 mi)
1,419 km
4. Mumbai–Delhi 31 August 2011
(882 mi)
5,846 km
Total 31 May 2013
(3,633 mi)
 North-South and East-West Corridor

The North–South–East–West Corridor (NS-EW) is the largest

ongoing highway project in India. It is the second phase of the National
Highways Development Project (NHDP), and consists of building 7300
kilometers of four/six lane highways associating Srinagar, Kanyakumari,
Kochi, Porbandar and Silchar, at a cost of US$12.317 billion (at 1999
. As of 31 March 2018, 6875 of the 7142 kilometers project has been
prices).
finished.

North-South corridor aims at connecting Srinagar in Jammu and

Kashmir with Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu (including Kochchi-Salem Spur)
with a 4,076 km long road.

The East-West Corridor has been planned to connect Silchar in Assam

with the port town of Porbandar in Gujarat with 3,640 km of road length.
 Intersection Point

The following is an interchange section :

Jhansi is the junction of North–South and East–West Corridors.

. The following stretches are common between the Golden

Quadrilateral and the NS-EW Corridors:
Delhi–Agra: Golden Quadrilateral & North–South Corridor
Bengaluru–Krishnagiri: Golden Quadrilateral & North–South
Corridor
Akbarpur–Kanpur: Golden Quadrilateral & East–West Corridor
Udaipur–Chittorgarh: Golden Quadrilateral & East West Corridor

The following is a Spur Highway of the North–South

Corridor
Kochi–Coimbatore–Salem(NH 544): North–South Corridor &
North–South Corridor Extension.
 State highways

These are constructed and maintained

by state governments (PWDs).
They join the state capitals with
district headquarters and other
.
important towns.
These roads are connected to the
National Highways.
These constitute 4 percent of the total
road length in the country.
 Number Length (km) Length (mi) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus
SH 1 151 94 Bongaon– Chakdaha- Kalyani- Barrackpore- Kolkata-Rajpur
Sonarpur- Baruipur- Jaynagar- Kulpi
SH 2 323 201 Khatra-Taldangra - Bishnupur- Arambag- Tarakeswar-
Uttarpara- Dakshineswar- Basirhat- Malancha
SH 3 260 160 Krishnanagar– Helencha- Bangaon- Gaighata- Haroa- Ultadanga-
Dhapa- Minakhan- Gosaba
SH 4 466 290 Jhalda– Balarampur- Manbazar- Khatra- Raipur-Sarenga-
Chandrakona- Ghatal- Panskura- Tamluk- Contai- Digha
SH 4A 39 24 Tulin Jhalda- Chas More 39
SH 5 376 234 Rupnarayanpur- Neamatpur- Dishergarh- Raghunathpur-
Purulia- Manbazar- Banduan– Jhilimili- Jhargram- Kharagpur-
Keshiari- Belda- Junput
SH 6 266 165 Rajnagar– Suri- Ahmedpur- Kirnahar- Katwa- Kalna- Saptagram-
. Uttarpara- Botanical Garden- Alampur
SH 7 289 180 Rajgram- Nalhati– Morgram- Kuli- Natunhat- Burdwan-
Arambag- Khirpai- Chandrakona- Keshpur- Medinipur
SH 8 292 181 Santaldih– Raghunathpur- Saltora- Bankura- Beliatore-
Sonamukhi- Patrasayer- Rasulpur- Kusumgram- Samudragarh-
Krishnanagar- Majdia
SH 9 251 156 Durgapur– Bankura-Taldangra- Simlapal- Raipur- Jhargram-
Dahijuri- Fekohat-Gopiballavpur- Nayagram
SH 10 173 107 Malda Town-Manikchak-Ratua-Samsi-Gazole-Buniadpur-
Gangarampur-Balurghat–Hili
SH 11 251 156 Mohammad Bazar – Sainthia-Kandi-Khagra-Baharampur-Jalangi-
Karimpur-Krishnanagar-Ranaghat
SH 11A 65 40 Bhagawangola-Lalgola-Jangipur-Raghunathganj
SH 12 352 219 Naxalbari Alipurduar
SH 13 88 55 (NH 19 Palsit EM Bypass) Dankuni Via Memari Boinchi Pandua
Mogra Baidyabati
SH 14 226 140 Dubrajpur Debagram
SH 15 242 150 Dainhat - Manteswar - Memari - Chakdighi - Dasghara -
Tarakeswar - Chanditala - Baltikuri - Bargachia - Amta - Bagnan
- Shvarnpur - Gadiara
 District roads

These roads are the connecting link between District

.
Headquarters and the other important nodes in the district.
They account for 14 percent of the total road length of
the country
These roads are built and maintained by Zilla Parishad
and P.W.D.
Based on the location and function, district roads are
divided into major and minor roads. Major roads in a
district offer connectivity with the main locations of
neighbouring districts. On the other hand, minor roads in a
district connect all major areas inside that district.
 Rural roads

The roads serving the rural areas or other main

roads other than the National Highways, the State
Highways and the Major District Roads and the roads
.
connecting the villages or groups of villages with each
other and connecting nearest road of a higher category;
These roads are vital for providing links in the rural
areas.
About 80 percent of the total road length in India are
categorized as rural roads.
These are maintained by Village Panchyet.
 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna,2000

Launched on: 25th December, 2000.

Objective: To provide connectivity, by way of an all-weather road to
unconnected habitations.
Eligibility: Unconnected habitations of designated population size
(500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States,
.
Deserts and Tribal Areas as per 2001 census) in the core network for
uplifting the socio-economic condition of the rural population.

Funding: The Union Government bears 90% of the project cost in

respect of projects sanctioned under the scheme in North-Eastern and
Himalayan States, whereas for other states the Union Government bears
60% of the cost.
 Expressway

Expressways are the highest class roads in India.

These are the highways with six to eight lane controlled access road
network.
Basically, expressways are of high quality consisting of modern
features like access ramps, grade separation, lane dividers and elevated
section.
.
Total Expressways in India (Operational) - approx 21 to 25
Total Length of Expressways operational in India - 1581,4 km
Best National Expressway - The Ahmedabad Vadodara
Expressway also known as the best Expressway in India. It is 95
km long.
Longest Expressway in India - Agra-Lucknow Expressway, 302
km long
Max limit speed for cars on expressways - 120 km/h
As of July 2022, 24 expressways with a combined length of 2,191.2
km (1,361.5 mi) are operational in India
 Border Roads

Border roads are strategically essential roadways in the country's

bordering territories.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a Government of India
initiative that builds and maintains border roads.
This organisation was founded in 1960 with the goal of developing
critical highways in the northern and northeastern border territories.
Border roads are significant because they facilitate accessibility in
tough
. terrain locations. They have contributed to the economic
growth of border regions.
Border roads are built in the country's most distant places to
enable connection.
The BRO has built 43,567 kilometres of border roads in Arunachal
Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya,
Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 FASTAG

•The FASTag is a reloadable tag that allows automatic deduction of toll

without having to stop for carrying out the cash transaction.
•The tag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and is fixed
on the windscreen of the vehicle once active.
A FASTag is valid for five years, and can be recharged as and when required.
Under a new “One Nation One FASTag” scheme, the NHAI is trying to get
.
states on board so that one tag can be used seamlessly across highways,
irrespective of whether it is the state or the Centre that owns/manages it.
The Union Ministry of Road Trasport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued a
notification in November 2020, making FASTags mandatory for all vehicles
from January 1, 2021. But the revised date was 15th February,2021.
.
 Railways

Indian railway managed by Ministry of Railways, has the one of the largest rail network in the Asia

History of Indian Railways

Indian railway system started in 1853 with the inauguration of railway line between Mumbai and Thane for a
distance of 34 km.
 Mumbai-Thane railway line was followed by another railway line between Howrah and Hoogly in 1854.
.

Salient features of Indian Railways

●Broad Gauge- Width 1.676 Meter (Only Major port cities and some other places, were connected with the
help of broad Gauge to facilitate the export of raw materials from India to Britain and other countries during
colonial times but after Independence Government of India decided to convert all gauges to broad gauge
gradually)
●Meter Gauge- Width 1 Meter
●Narrow Gauge- Width .762 Meter
●Lift Gauge- Width .610 Meter
 Management of Railways

Railway Board- It is the top most 7 member

body in Indian Railways, reports to the parliament
of India through the Railway Ministry.
There are 18 zones in Indian Railways and each
zone is headed by general managers, who in turn
reports to the railway board.
Railway
. Zone are further subdivided into
operating divisions which are headed by
Divisional Railway Managers (DRM) and at
present these divisions are 68 in number.
18th Zone : Southern Coast Railway ,Head
quarter in Visakhapattanam(27th February, 2019).
Largest Zone of Railway : Northern Railway
Smallest Zone of Railway: Kolkata Metro.
Oldest Railway Zone of India: Southern Zone (
14th April,1951).
 Facts about Indian Railways

Indian Railways was nationalized in 1951

•Toilets were introduced on Indian Railways in 1909.
•Indian Railways started computerized reservation in New Delhi in 1986.
•Indian Railways is the world’s second-largest network operated under a single administration and the largest rail network in Asia.
•The railway runs more than 7,421 cargo trains carrying 3 million tons of freight daily.
•Indian Railway has gone into a select club of railways that includes China, Russia, and the USA in carrying more than one billion tons of
cargo yearly.
•According to the Acworth Committee in 1920-21, the railway finances of India were separated from the general government finances in
1924.
.
•In 1994, the first live telecast of the railway budget took place.
•Recently Railway and General Budget have merged.
•India’s fastest train has successfully completed a trial run at 160 km per hour on the route between Delhi and Agra in just 90 minutes.
•In 2000, Mamata Banerjee was the first woman to become Railway Minister.
•She holds the record of being the only woman who introduced the railway budget for two different governments in the Parliament (UPA
and NDA).
•The Mettupalayam-Ooty Nilgiri Passenger train is the slowest train which runs at an average speed of 10 kmph.
•The New Delhi Railway Station has the world’s largest Route Relay Interlocking System.
•Indian Railways is the world’s seventh-largest employer with over 1.4 million employees on its rolls.
•The renewed platform at Gorakhpur Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh has become the world’s longest, measuring 1,366 meters.
•Indian Railways is building the world’s highest railway bridge five times the height of Qutub Minar and 35 meters taller than Eiffel Tower.
•Indian Railways’ longest tunnel is Pir Panjal that links Kashmir Valley with Banihal in Jammu.
•Station with the shortest name is Ib in Odisha.
•Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta is the station with the longest name.
 World Heritage Railway Site of Indian Railways

A. Mountain Railways of India:

(i) Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) - inscribed by UNESCO
in 1999 :
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway consists of 88.48 kilometres of 2 feet
(0.610 metre) gauge track that connects New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling,
passing through Ghoom at an altitude of 2,258 metres. The innovative
design includes six zigzag reverses and three loops with a ruling
gradient of 1:31.
(ii) Nilgiri Mountain Railways (NMR) inscribed in 2005:
. railway, scaling an elevation of 326 metre to 2,203 metre,
This
represented the latest technology of the time and uses unique rack and
pinion traction arrangement to negotiate steep gradient.
(iii) Kalka Shimla Railway (KSR) inscribed in 2008:
The world’s highest multi-arch gallery bridge and the world’s longest
tunnel (at the time of construction) of KSR were the testimony of the
brilliance engineering skills applied to make a dream a reality.

B. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai (CSMT) –

inscribed in 2004:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai is commonly known as
Bombay V.T or Victoria Terminus. The building is outstanding example
of late 19th century railway architecture in the British commonwealth
characterized by Victoria Gothic Revival and traditional Indian features
as well as its advanced structural and technical features
 Important Railway Stations

“Green Railway Station Platinum Rating”: Asansol

Longest Railway Station: Gorakhpur( Now Hubli Junction,

Karnataka)
Largest Railway Station : Howrah

Calling Manwal railway station the first green railway station in

India
Fully Solar Powered Railway Station: Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG
Ramachandran Central station
Railway Research Unit: Lukhnow
Railway Staff College: Vadodara
 Waterways of India

.
 National Waterways

National Waterways Act came into effect in 2016. It proposed 106 additional National Waterways
.
and merges 5 existing Acts which were declared the 6 National Waterways
 Different National Waterways

1.National Waterways 1 or NW1

It starts from Allahabad(Prayagraj) to Haldia with a distance

of 1620 km.

The
. NW 1 run through the Ganges, Bhagirathi, and Hooghly
river system with having fixed terminals at Haldia, Farrakka, and
Patna and floating terminals at most of the riverside cities like
Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Varanasi, and Allahabad.

It is be the longest National Waterways in India.

 Different National Waterways

2.National Waterways 2

●It is a stretch on the Brahmaputra river from Sadiya to

Dhubri in Assam state.

. ●The NW 2 is one of the major freight transportation

waterways of northeast India and the third-longest
Waterways with and a total length of 891 km.
 Different National Waterways

3.National waterways 3orthe West Coast Canal

●It is located in Kerala state and runs from Kollam to

Kottapuram.
●The 205 km long West Coast Canal is India’s first
. waterway with all-time navigation facility.
●The NW3 is consists of the West Coast Canal,
Champakara Canal, and Udyogmandal Canal and runs
through Kottappuram, Cherthala, Thrikkunnapuzha
Kollam, and Alappuzha.
 Different National Waterways

4.National Waterway 4

It is connected from Kakinada to Pondicherry through

Canals, Tank, and River Godavari along with Krishna river.
The NW 4 the second-longest waterway of India with a
total
. length of 1095 km in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
 Different National Waterways

5.National Waterway 5

It connects Orissa to West Bengal using the stretch on

Brahmani River, East Coast Canal, Matai river, and Mahanadi
River Delta.
The
. 623 km long canal system will handle the traffic of
cargo such as coal, fertilizer, cement, and iron.
 Different National Waterways

6.National waterway 6

It is the proposed waterway in Assam state and will connect

Lakhipur to Bhanga in river Barak.
 The 121 km long waterway will help in trading between the
town
. of Silchar to Mizoram State.
 Major Ports of India

India has 13 major ports viz. Kolkata Port, Paradip Port, New Mangalore Port, Cochin Port, Jawaharlal Nehru
Port, Mumbai Port, Kandla Port, Vishakhapatnam Port, ChennaiPort, Tuticorin port, Ennore Port, Mormugao
Port and Port Blair Port. Out of them, theMumbai, JNPT, Kandla, Manglore, Cochin and Momugao are located at
western coastwhile Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam, Paradeep, Chennai, Tuticorin and Ennore are located onEast Coast.
Port Blair is located in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

.Kolkata Port
●Only riverine major port in India.
●Known for twin dock systems viz., Kolkata Dock System (KDS) on the eastern bank and Haldia Dock Complex
(HDC) on the western bank of river Hooghly.
Paradip Port
●located at confluence of river Mahanadi in Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
New Mangalore Port
●Located at a site called Panambur in Karnataka at Gurupura river confluence withArabian Sea.
Cochin Port
●Located on the Willington island on the South-West coast of India; located on the crossroads of the East-West
Ocean trade
●The port is called natural gateway to the vast industrial and agricultural producemarkets of the South-West
India.
 Major Ports of India

Jawaharlal Nehru Port

●It is also known as Nhava Sheva and is the largest container port in India, handling around half of containers
of all major ports.
●It is located on eastern shore of Mumbai harbour off Elephanta Island and is accessed via Thane creek.
Mumbai Port
. ●One of the oldest modern ports of India. Initially the location was used by navies of Shivaji.
Kandla Port
●Kandla port was built after partition as the Karachi port on western coast had gone to Pakistan.
 It is known for handling much of the crude oil imports of India.
Vishakhapatnam Port
●Vizag port is located in Andhra Pradesh and is known for bulk of Cargo handling on east coast.
Chennai Port
●Chennai Port is the largest port in the Bay of Bengal and second largest port of India after JNPT. It is largest
port at east coast.
 Major Ports of India

Tuticorin Port
●This port has been now renamed as V.O.Chidambaranar Port. It is
located in the Gulf of Mannar.
●Tuticorin is the only port in South India to provide a direct weekly
container service to the United States.
Ennore Port
.
●It is first corporate port of India and is registered as a public
company with 68% stake held by government.
Mormugao Port
●Mormugao port in Goa is leading iron ore exporting port of India.
Port Blair Port
●Port Blair is the 13th and youngest major port of India declared so
in 2010.
 Different Types of Ports in India

Hightech Port of India: Jawahar Navseva Bandar, Mumbai

Tax Free Port of India: Kandla Port, Gujarat
Busiest Port: Mumbai Port
Deepest Port: Krishnapattanam ,Andhra Pradesh
.
Newest Port: Tuticorin Port
Landlocked Port: Visakhapattanam
Largest artificial port of India:Chennai Port, Tamilnadu
Tidal Port of India : Kandla, Gujarat & Kolkata Port
Recent Name of Kolkata Port: Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
 Question Series

Q.1The National highways system is the responsibility

of
A. State Governments
B. Central Government
C. A special Roads Authority
D. State and Central Government
 Question Series

Q.2 Which among the following National Highways

of India is the longest?
A. NH 1
B. NH 2
C. NH 3
D. NH 44
 Question Series

Q.3 What is the width of broad gauge railway line in

India?
A. 5 feet 3 inches
B. 5 feet 6 inches
C. 4 feet 11 inches
D. 5 feet 4 inches
 Question Series

Q.4 Railway staff College is situated at

a) Mumbai
b) Secundrabad
c) Ahmedabad
d) Vadodara
 Thank You
See you next day