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Mode of transport (or means of transport or transport mode or transport modality or form of transport) is a general term for the different kinds of transport
Transport

Transport or transportation is the movement of passenger and cargo from one location to another. Transport is performed by various modes of transport, such as aviation, rail transport, road transport, ship transport, cable transport, pipeline transport and space transport....
 facilities that are often used to transport people
Person

The term person in common usage means an individual human being. In the fields of law, philosophy, medicine, and others, the term also has specialised context-specific meanings....
 or cargo
Cargo

Cargo refers to goods or produce transported, generally for Commerce gain, by Cargo ship, Cargo airline, Train#Freight trains, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal freight transport long-haul cargo transport....
.

Where more than one mode of transport is used for a journey, or for transport analysis, the journey can be described as multi-modal.

ansport mode is a combination of the following:



e are some differences in British English and US English in terms for individual modes.






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Mode of transport (or means of transport or transport mode or transport modality or form of transport) is a general term for the different kinds of transport
Transport

Transport or transportation is the movement of passenger and cargo from one location to another. Transport is performed by various modes of transport, such as aviation, rail transport, road transport, ship transport, cable transport, pipeline transport and space transport....
 facilities that are often used to transport people
Person

The term person in common usage means an individual human being. In the fields of law, philosophy, medicine, and others, the term also has specialised context-specific meanings....
 or cargo
Cargo

Cargo refers to goods or produce transported, generally for Commerce gain, by Cargo ship, Cargo airline, Train#Freight trains, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal freight transport long-haul cargo transport....
.

Where more than one mode of transport is used for a journey, or for transport analysis, the journey can be described as multi-modal.

Components of a mode of transport

A transport mode is a combination of the following:

  • Traffic infrastructure: traffic routes, network
    Transport network

    A transport network, or transportation network in American English, is typically a network of roads, streets, pipes, aqueducts, power lines, or nearly any structure which permits either vehicular movement or flow of some commodity....
    s, nodes (stations
    Train station

    |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which passengers may board and alight from trains and/or rail-transported freight may be loaded or unloaded....
    , bus terminals
    Bus terminus

    A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminus is the designated place that a Public transport timetable is timed from....
    , airport terminal
    Airport terminal

    An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from airplanes....
    s), etc.
  • Vehicle
    Vehicle

    Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
    s and containers: truck
    Truck

    File:Red truck USA.JPGA truck is a type of motor vehicle commonly used for carrying goods and materials. Some light trucks are relatively small, similar in size to a passenger automobile....
    s, wagon
    Wagon

    A wagon or dray is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle. Wagons were formerly pulled by animals such as horse, mule or ox. Today farm wagons are pulled by tractors and trucks....
    s, ship
    Ship

    A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
    s, aircraft
    Aircraft

    An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
     and train
    Train

    A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track to rail transport from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rail tracks, but might also be a monorail or magnetic levitation train guideway....
    s.
  • A stationary or mobile workforce
    Workforce

    The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single Types of companies or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc....
  • Propulsion system and power supply
    Power supply

    Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output External electric load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU....
     (traction
    Traction (engineering)

    Traction is defined by dictionaries as adhesive friction, another name for Friction#Static_friction . Traction is never properly used to mean Friction#Kinetic_friction ....
    )
  • Operations: driving
    Driving

    Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, such as a automobile, truck or bus. Although direct operation of a bicycle, a mounted animal or a motorcycle is commonly called riding, such operators are usually legally considered to be drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road which apply to all drivers....
    , management
    Management

    Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
    , traffic signals, railway switching, air traffic control
    Air traffic control

    Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based Air traffic controller who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other support for pilots when able....
    , etc.


Examples of modes of transport

There are some differences in British English and US English in terms for individual modes. These are indicated by (US) or (UK) after the alternative terms
  • Animal-powered transport (see link for animals)
    • Cart
      Cart

      A cart is a vehicle or device designed for transport, using two or four wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people....
    • Carriage
      Carriage

      A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn. It is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods....
    • Chariot
      Chariot

      The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC....
    • Sledge
  • Aviation
    Aviation

    File:Norwegian military Bell 412SP helicopters.jpgAviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices , including the people, organizations, and regulatory bodies involved with them....
    , Air
    • Aircraft
      Aircraft

      An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
      , Aeroplane
    • Airship
      Airship

      An airship or dirigible is a aerostat that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust. Unlike other aerodynamics aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, which produce lift by moving a wing, or airfoil, through the air, aerostatic aircraft, such as airships and Balloon , stay...
       and Blimp
      Blimp

      Blimp can refer to:* a Blimp as opposed to a rigid airship * a slang term for a person considered to be conservative due to ignorance, after the cartoon character Colonel Blimp...
    • Autogyro
      Autogyro

      An autogyro is a type of rotorcraft invented by Juan de la Cierva in 1919, making its first successful flight on 9 January 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid....
    • Balloon (aircraft)
      Balloon (aircraft)

      A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
    • Hang glider
    • Helicopter
      Helicopter

      A helicopter is an aircraft that is Lift and propelled by one or more horizontal plane Helicopter rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades....
    • Jetpack
    • Microlight
    • Tiltrotor
      Tiltrotor

      A tiltrotor aircraft combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a turboprop fixed-wing aircraft....
    • Jump Jet
  • Human-powered transport
    Human-powered transport

    Human-powered transport is the transport of person and/or goods using human muscle power. Like animal-powered transport, human-powered transport has existed since time immemorial in the form of walking, running and swimming....
    • Bicycle
      Bicycle

      The bicycle, bike, or cycle is a pedal-driven, human-powered transport with two bicycle wheel attached to a bicycle frame, one behind the other....
      , (Cycling
      Cycling

      Cycling is the use of bicycles, or - less commonly - unicycles, tricycles, Quadracycle s and other similar wheeled human powered vehicles as a means of transport, a form of recreation or a sport....
      )
    • Pedestrian
      Pedestrian

      A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates, skateboards, and similar devices are also considered to be pedestrians....
       (walking
      Walking

      Walking is the main form of animal locomotion on Earth, distinguished from running and crawling . When carried out in shallow waters, it is usually described as wading and when performed over a steeply rising object or an obstacle it becomes scrambling or climbing....
      )
    • Rickshaw
      Rickshaw

      Rickshaws are a mode of human-powered transport: a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two persons. The word rickshaw came from Asia where they were mainly used as means of transportation for the social elite....
    • Skateboard
      Skateboard

      A skateboard is a four wheeled piece of wood used for the activity of skateboarding. The modern skateboard originated in California in the late 1950's....
    • Skate
    • Sledge
    • Wheelchair
      Wheelchair

      A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually or via various automated systems. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness , injury, or disability....
    • Ski
      Ski

      A ski is a long, flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now primarily used for recreational and sporting purposes....
  • Ship transport
    Ship transport

    Ship transport refers to the use of watercraft to carry people, generally referred to as passengers, and goods, generally referred to as cargo, from one place to another....
    • Boat
      Boat

      A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
      . Sailboat
      Sailboat

      A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a smaller vessel varies by region and culture....
    • Ferry
      Ferry

      A ferry is a form of transport, usually a boat or ship, used to carry passengers and their vehicles across a body of water. Ferries are also used to transport freight and even railroad cars....
      , Car ferry
      Car ferry

      A car ferry may be* In North American usage, a Train ferry* In UK usage, a RORO...
      , Passenger ferry
    • Hydrofoil
      Hydrofoil

      A hydrofoil is a boat with wing-like airfoils mounted on struts below the hull . As the craft increases its speed the hydrofoils develop enough lift for the boat to become foilborne - i.e....
    • Ship
      Ship

      A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
    • Submarine
      Submarine

      A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
    • Hovercraft
      Hovercraft

      A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle , is a craft , designed to travel over any smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface below, and contained within a "skirt." Hovercraft are used throughout the world as a method of specialized transport where ever there is the nee...
  • Rail transport
    Rail transport

    Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways . Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth....
    , Railway (UK) Railroad (US)
    • Cable car (railway)
      Cable car (railway)

      A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are propelled by a continuously moving Wire rope running at a constant speed....
    • Funicular
      Funicular

      A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained cable railway in which a wire rope attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on Rail tracks#Railway rail moves them up and down a very steep slope, the ascending and descending v...
    • Rapid transit
      Rapid transit

      A rapid transit, subway, underground, elevated railway or metro system is an railway electrification system public transport rail transport in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and which is grade separation from other traffic....
       (metro, underground, subway, or elevated rail systems)
    • Tram
      Tram

      A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railroad car, of lighter weight and construction than a train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets....
    • Train
      Train

      A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track to rail transport from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rail tracks, but might also be a monorail or magnetic levitation train guideway....
    • Monorail
      Monorail

      A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track....
  • Road transport
    Road transport

    Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods.A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat....
    • Auto rickshaw
      Auto rickshaw

      An auto rickshaw or tuk tuk is a motor vehicle that is one of the chief mode of transport across many parts of South Asia and East Asia, especially as a vehicle for hire....
       (or Tuk-Tuk)
    • Bus
      Bus

      A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus can generally seat a maximum of anywhere from 8 to 200 passengers; many more passengers than a minivan....
    • Coach
      Coach (vehicle)

      In British English and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers. To differentiate from other types of bus, a coach has a luggage hold separate from the passenger cabin....
    • Car (UK) Automobile
      Automobile

      An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
       (US)
    • Motorcycle
      Motorcycle

      A motorcycle is a Single track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an Motorcycle engine. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as Touring motorcycle travel, navigating Naked bike, Cruiser , Motorcycle sport and Motorbike racing, or off-road conditions....
    • Truck
      Truck

      File:Red truck USA.JPGA truck is a type of motor vehicle commonly used for carrying goods and materials. Some light trucks are relatively small, similar in size to a passenger automobile....
       (US), Lorry
      Lorry

      Lorry may refer to:Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, called a tippler in the UK, an open Gondola #Lorry with a tipping trough...
       (UK), Heavy Goods Vehicle
    • Trolley bus
  • Ski lift
    Ski lift

    The term ski lift can refer to many different types of uphill transport, in three main classes:...
    • Cable car (disambiguation)
    • Telecabine, Gondola lift
      Gondola lift

      A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, often called a cable car, which consists of a loop of steel Wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers....
    • Chairlift
      Chairlift

      An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel Wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs....
      ,
    • Teleski, Draglift
  • Mechanical transit device
    • Escalator
      Escalator

      An escalator is a conveyor transport device for transport people, consisting of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, which keep the treads horizontal....
    • Elevator
      Elevator

      An elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building. They are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables and counterweight systems, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston....
       (US), Lift
      Elevator

      An elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building. They are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables and counterweight systems, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston....
       (UK)
    • Paternoster
      Paternoster

      A paternoster or paternoster lift is a passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments that move slowly in a wiktionary:loop up and down inside a building without stopping....
    • People mover
      People mover

      A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade separation mass transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated systems....
      , Travelator
  • Other
    Other

    The Other or constitutive other is a key concept in continental philosophy, opposed to the identity . It refers, or attempts to refer, to that which is 'other' than the concept being considered....
    • Teleportation
      Teleportation

      Teleportation is the transfer of matter from one place to another, more or less instantaneously, either by paranormal means or through technological artifice....
       device
      Machine

      A machine is any device that uses energy to perform some activity. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work....
    • Rocket
      Rocket

      A rocket or rocket vehicle is a missile, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust by the Reaction of the rocket to the ejection of fast moving fluid exhaust from a rocket engine....
    • Spacecraft
      Spacecraft

      A spacecraft is a Craft or machine designed for spaceflight. On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft enters outer space then returns to the Earth....


Worldwide comparison of the most important transport modes


Worldwide, the most widely-used modes for passenger transport are the Automobile (16,000 bn passenger km), followed by Buses (7,000), Air (2,800), Railways (1,900), and Urban Rail (250) .

The most widely used modes for freight transport are Sea (40,000 bn ton km), followed by Road (7,000), Railways (6,500), Oil pipelines (2,000) and Inland Navigation (1,500) .



































































EU 15 USA Japan World
GDP (PPP) per capita (€) 19,000 28,600 22,300 5,500
Passenger km per capita
Private Car 10,100 22,700 6,200 2,700
Bus/ Coach 1,050 870 740 1,200
Railway 750 78 2,900 320
Air (domestic except World) 860 2,800 580 480


See also

  • Dual mode transit
    Dual mode transit

    Dual mode transit describes theoretical transportation systems in which vehicles operate on both public roads and on a guideway; thus using two mode of transport....
  • Intermodal transport
    Intermodal transport

    Intermodal transport involves the use of more than one mode of transport for a journey. See:*Intermodal passenger transport*Intermodal freight transport...
  • The notion of co-modality
    Co-modality

    The co-modality is a notion introduced by the European commission in 2006 in the field of the transport policy to define an approach of the globality of the transport mode and of their combinations....
     introduced by the European Commission
    European Commission

    The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
  • Intermodal Journey Planner
    Intermodal Journey Planner

    An Intermodal Journey Planner , or Transport Information System is type of journey planner. Such a computer system can provide a traveller with an itinerary for an intermodal passenger transport journey....
  • Transshipment
    Transshipment

    Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of good to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination.One possible reason is to change the means of transport during the journey , known as transloading....
  • Transportation hub
    Transportation hub

    A transport hub or transport interchange is a location where passengers and cargo are exchanged across several mode of transport. Hubs make out the center of spoke-hub distribution paradigms, allowing passengers and cargo to be transported from one place to another without a direct service....
  • Transport network
    Transport network

    A transport network, or transportation network in American English, is typically a network of roads, streets, pipes, aqueducts, power lines, or nearly any structure which permits either vehicular movement or flow of some commodity....
  • Modal shift
  • Mode choice
    Mode choice

    Mode choice analysis is the third step in the conventional four-step transportation forecasting model, following trip generation and trip distribution but before route assignment....