Coal being transported from the mines to the a Thermal Power station. Image credit transportationissuedaily.com

Coal being transported from the mines to the a Thermal Power station. Image credit transportationissuedaily.com

ZIMSEC O Level Commerce Notes: Transport: Modes of transport: Rail.

Rail transport.

Advantages.

  • Fast over long distances.
  • Is cheap over long distances.
  • Suitable for carrying:
  • heavy goods like motor vehicle parts.
  • Bulky loads for example coal and mineral ores
  • Is not easily affected by bad weather conditions.
  • Saves on the use of labour.
  • Can carry a variety of goods.
  • Can carry containers.
  • Accidents and congestions are very rare.
  • Can be electrified and thus clean.
  • Modern trains can be very fast even over short distances.

Disadvantages

  • Very high initial capital cost.
  • High costs of installaling railway lines.
  • Can be slow over short distances.
  • Not suitable for carrying small loads.
  • Accidents can be very costly as well as lead to loss of life.
  • It is not direct i.e.:
  • Does not make door to door service.
  • Requires road transport to move goods to their final destinations.

Freightliners

Freightliner. Image credit wikimedia

Freightliner. Image credit wikimedia

  • These are trains
  • They travel over very long distances at great speeds.
  • They carry mixed cargo or a variety of goods.
  • They carry passengers
  • They operate on: fixed routes and
  • fixed schedules/timetables.
  • They link:
  • Inland cities with seaports
  • Inland cities with other inland cities.

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