Why in India the long distance routes are con­nected by railways whereas shorter distances are connected by road?

In India the long distance routes are con­nected by railways whereas shorter distances are connected by road due to the following advantages and dis-advantages:

I.  Two advantages of railways for long distance routes:

• Railway is a cheap and convenient mode of transport for long distance journeys.
• It carries in bulk non-perishable goods like machines, raw material like iron-ore, coal etc and other heavy goods.

Image Source: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/ICE_to_Bombay_Indian_Railways.jpg

Two disadvantages of railways for long dis­tance routes :

• It is highly expensive to construct and maintain railway tracks. It requires huge investment
• Railways are not fit to transport per­ishable and valuable goods for long distance.

II. Two advantages of road transport:

• Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and can traverse mountains. They can be made to pass through forests, deserts and difficult terrain.
• Roads provide ‘door stop’ service to the people. They are the only means to connect the vast rural areas of our country with towns and cities.

Two disadvantages of road transport:

• They are unsuitable for transporting heavy goods and raw material.
• The long distance journey by road transport is tiring and inconvenient.