Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
these countries will invest in developing a network; others will simply remain
at a disadvantage in relation to their neighbours. The length of track is not
always a measure of passenger use. For example, the USA network is 150,000
miles (240,000km) in length, but this is predominantly used for freight.
Passenger km are a more accurate indicator. By this measure, India, Japan and
China are the major railway nations of the world, but, as elsewhere, most of
these journeys are for utility rather than tourism. For example, there are 396
billion passenger km travelled in Japan every year. This is closely followed by
China, with nearly 364 billion passenger km per annum (International Union
of Railways, 2009). Figures for passenger km travelled on railway networks
across the world are summarized in Table 5.1.
There are some definitional matters to consider. A train uses fixed tracks;
conventional systems operate using locomotives or multiple units and car-
riages with flanged wheels, although monorail technologies have been adopted
in Japan and the USA. There is no firm categorization of trains used for
tourism purposes. Given that most trains are provided to serve a multitude of
markets and for multi-purposes (commuting, business and leisure travel), it is
useful to note some of the more generic differences.
A basic categorization of passenger train services can be made in accor-
dance with their main purpose. Thus, many train services are referred to as
metro or underground networks, serving commuters and residents making
everyday trips into town. There are also suburban trains which focus on com-
muter traffic, such as S-bahn trains in Germany, or Japanese commuter trains
where assistance is given to cram as many people onto the train as feasible.
They cater for large flows of passengers into and out of cities and this might,
as with metro systems, include tourists exploring destinations by public trans-
port. A second categorization is the intercity train which travels between the
major urban areas of a country, or between neighbouring countries as is com-
mon across Europe. Some intercity trains are also overnight services offering
sleeping compartments, such as City Night Line in Europe.
Trains can also be defined by distance and speed. Short-distance trains are
those which operate between destinations less than 100km apart and would
be mainly urban and suburban services, or local trains stopping at all or most
stations. Quality and frequency of service are important determinants of
demand for this type of service (Asensio, 2000). For the most part they are not
designed for the tourist, but are used to gain access to accommodation or
Table 5.1 Passengers carried on the world's railway networks in 2008
Passenger km (millions)
Africa
62,167
Americas
13,974
Asia and Oceania
1,950,936
Europe (including EU25)
659,689
World
2,686,766
Source : Railway Statistics Synopsis, 2008; International
Union of Railway, 2009
 
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