Rail transport

Transportation of goods and passengers on rail lines through trains is called rail transport. It occupies an important place in land transport and it to carry goods and passengers over a long distance. Besides long distance, local transport of passengers is also provided by local trains or metro-rail in some metropolitan cities. Rail transport is available throughout the country except some hilly or mountainous regions. While passenger trains carry both human beings and a limited quantity of goods, the goods trains are exclusively used for carrying goods from one place to another. These trains are driven by rail engines and they use steam, diesel or electric power to move.

Advantages of Rail transport

1. It is a convenient mode of transport for travelling long distances.
2. It is relatively faster than road transport.
3. It is suitable for carrying heavy goods in large quantities over long distances.
4. Its operation is less affected by adverse weathers conditions like rain, floods, fog, etc.

Limitations of Railway transport

1. It is relatively expensive for carrying goods and passengers over short distances.
2. It is not available in remote parts of the country.
3. It provides service according to fixed time schedule and is not flexible for loading or unloading of goods at any place.
4. It involves heavy losses of life as well as goods in case of accident.