Land transport covers all land-based transportation systems that provide for the movement of people, goods and services. Land transport plays a vital role in linking communities to each other. Land transport is a key factor in
urban planning. It consists of 2 kinds, rail and road.
Railways on the Nuremberg–Munich high-speed railway in December 2006
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on
rail track, known as a railway or railroad. The rails are anchored perpendicular to railroad train
consists of one or more connected vehicles that run on the rails. Propulsion is commonly provided by a
locomotive, that hauls a series of unpowered cars, that can carry passengers or freight. The locomotive can be powered by
steam,
diesel or by
electricity supplied by
trackside systems. Alternatively, some or all the cars can be powered, known as a
multiple unit. Also, a train can be powered by
horses,
cables, gravity,
pneumatics and
gas turbines. Railed vehicles move with much less friction than rubber tires on paved roads, making trains more
energy efficient, though not as efficient as ships.
Intercity trains are long-haul services connecting cities; modern
high-speed rail is capable of speeds up to , but this requires a specially built track.
Regional and
commuter trains feed cities from suburbs and surrounding areas, while intra-urban transport is performed by high-capacity
tramways and
rapid transits, often making up the backbone of a city's
public transport. Freight trains traditionally used
box cars, requiring manual loading and unloading of the
cargo. Since the 1960s, container trains have become the dominant solution for general freight, while large quantities of bulk are transported by dedicated trains.
Roadways (Interstate 80) near
Berkeley, California, United States in October 2006. s and bicycles in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States in August 2008. A road is an identifiable route of travel, usually surfaced with gravel, asphalt or concrete, and supporting land passage by foot or by a number of vehicles. The most common road vehicle in the developed world is the
automobile, a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own
motor. As of April 2026, there were approximately 1.645 billion automobiles worldwide. Other users of roads include
motorcycles,
buses,
trucks,
bicycles and
pedestrians, and special provisions are sometimes made for each of these. For example,
bus lanes give priority for public transport, and
cycle lanes provide special areas of road for bicycles to use. Automobiles offer high flexibility, but are deemed with high energy and area use, and the main source of
noise and
air pollution in cities; buses allow for more efficient travel at the cost of reduced flexibility. Road transport by truck is often the initial and final stage of freight transport. ==Water transport==