Continuing from – Part 1
On the other hand, the railway transportation option also has significant role in the transportation of materials and other types of equipment. This type of transportation is mainly used for transporting people, goods and materials over long distances. Many businesses choose rail transportation over flatbed trailers because it is cheaper and can transport heavy and bulky items that cannot fit in or on other transportation motor vehicles.
Another advantage of rail transportation is safety. According to recent reports, the railway is the safest form of transportation. It has been reported that number of accidents and chances of one are lower when compared to other types of transportation. The trains are also considered to be very energy efficient. In some sense, they protect the environment because of lower gas emissions released in the atmosphere. Also, the railway transport is not affected by traffic jams which are common on major highways and roads, especially during rush hours.
But, rail transportation has many disadvantages as well. It involves and requires huge investment in construction of tracks and rails. One very big disadvantage is that the rail cannot offer “door to door” transportation of goods and materials. The railway system isn’t flexible and there is a limited accessibility to many locations across the state. The routes and the timing cannot be customized and adjusted according to personal needs of a client or shipper. Therefore, the recipient has to use other types of transportation vehicles to get goods, materials or products.
Rail transportation is not time-efficient transportation method. When compared to flatbed trucks, it takes longer for a shipment to get from a sender to recipient via train. Modern railway system usually is not developed in rural areas and because of this, rail transportation is not available in such areas. Businesses located in rural areas cannot take advantage of railway transportation as the once which operate in big cities. Also, because trains are loaded with different types of goods in bulk, chances of shipments being lost during the transportation are high, especially for long distances freights.
Moreover, railway is unsafe option for transporting fragile and easy breakable materials like glass or plastic. These items, if not protected well, can break easily when train stops unexpectedly or when it speeds up. Also, just like any other motor vehicle, trains are also prone to breakdowns and repairs, which results in serious delays. And delays can result in losing clients and money.
To conclude – many advantages make the flatbed truck transportation popular and convenient form for transporting goods, materials and machines in quick and efficient manner and from door to door. On the other hand, although the railway option is cheaper, it seems to be the best method only when it comes to transporting people and in some cases heavy equipment or materials.
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