India has an extensive transportation network that covers the length and breadth of the country and caters to an overwhelming majority of the population on a daily basis. The transportation network is broadly categorised into the passenger and freight transportation divisions. Out of these, passenger transportation is a major contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), with road transportation accounting for the largest share. The growth of passenger transportation as a means to increase connectivity between the rural and urban areas is essentially a pre-requisite of economic development of the country. The various modes of passenger transportation include roadways, railways, air travel and shipping. While roads are the most frequently availed forms of passenger transportation, they suffer from a variety of problems such as lack of proper maintenance, congestion and funds crunch. Railways are another major form of passenger transportation, with the Indian railways being one of the largest railway networks in the world. Air travel is still mainly availed by the upper and business classes in India, while shipping and transportation through waterways remains largely underutilised within the country. Hide this