Transport is the movement of people and goods from one place to another. Uttar Pradesh has a well-organized transport system that includes roadways, railways, airways, and waterways. This system is crucial for the development and connectivity of the state.
Types of Transport in Uttar Pradesh
The transport system in Uttar Pradesh is divided into four main types:
- Road Transport
- Rail Transport
- Air Transport
- Water Transport
Road Transport
Uttar Pradesh has the second-largest road network in India after Maharashtra. The state’s total road length is approximately 18.37 lakh km, making road transport the most significant part of its transport system. The roads in Uttar Pradesh connect the state to its nine neighboring states and almost all other parts of India through National Highways.
Road transport in Uttar Pradesh makes up about 70% of the total transport network.
Types of Roads in Uttar Pradesh
- National Highways
- Expressways
- State Highways
- District Roads
- Village Roads
National Highways
National Highways are the major roads that connect state capitals, important ports, and foreign highways. In Uttar Pradesh, there are 81 National Highways with a total length of 11,736.8 km (as of November 2018).
- The longest National Highway in Uttar Pradesh is NH-34, with a length of 723.4 km.
- The shortest National Highway in the state is NH-219, with a length of 5 km.
These highways are managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Major National Highways in Uttar Pradesh
| HN No. | Route | Length (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Delhi Border – Ghaziabad – Hapur – Rajabpur – Didauli – Pakbara – Moradabad – Rampur – Bilaspur – Uttarakhand Border | 147.6 |
| 19 | Agra – Firozabad – Shikohabad – Sirsaganj – Jaswantnagar – Etawah – Kanpur – Varanasi – Bihar Border | 655.2 |
| 21 | Rajasthan-Agra, Jalesar, Sikandra Rao, Bareilly | 265 |
| 24 | Sonauli – Gorakhpur – Ghazipur – Saiyad Raja | 275.2 |
| 34 | Uttarakhand Border – Najibabad – Meerut – Kanpur – Madhya Pradesh Border | 723.4 |
| 219 | Bihar Border – Chandauli | 5 |
| 509 | Agra – Khandauli – Sadabad – Hathras – Moradabad | 220 |
| 709B | Loni (Delhi) – Baghpat – Baraut – Shamli – Saharanpur | 170 |
Source: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
Important Points to Remember:
- Uttar Pradesh has 81 National Highways.
- NH-34 is the longest National Highway in the state.
- NH-219 is the shortest National Highway in the state.
Expressways
Overview
An expressway is a six-lane highway designed for faster vehicular traffic. Uttar Pradesh (UP) constructed its first expressway between Noida and Greater Noida in 2003-04. On December 27, 2007, the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority was established to oversee the development of expressways in the state.
Major Expressways
Here are some of the significant expressways in UP:
- Yamuna (Taj) Expressway
- A six-lane controlled-access expressway, it connects Greater Noida with Agra over a stretch of 165 km. This expressway, which links Delhi and Agra, was inaugurated on August 9, 2012. Notably, an Indian Air Force fighter plane, Mirage 2000, successfully landed on this expressway near Raya village, Mathura, in May 2015.
- Ganga Expressway
- This is an eight-lane, 1,047 km long, access-controlled expressway that will connect Greater Noida to Ballia via Varanasi, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Kanpur, Farrukhabad, and Bulandshahar.
- Delhi-Meerut Expressway
- India’s widest expressway, it spans 96 km and connects Delhi with Meerut. This eight-lane expressway will be expanded to 14 lanes. It is divided into four sections: Nizamuddin to Uttar Pradesh border, UP border to Dasna, Dasna to Hapur, and Hapur to Meerut. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, 2018, it is the first expressway in India with a cycle track.
- Agra-Lucknow Expressway
- A 302 km long tolled, controlled-access highway, it connects Agra with Lucknow. The expressway, inaugurated on November 21, 2016, is the longest in India and is expandable to eight lanes. A 3 km stretch of this expressway includes an airstrip for emergency military landings.
- Upper Ganga Canal Expressway
- An eight-lane access-controlled expressway, this expressway runs alongside the Upper Ganga Canal, from Sanauta bridge (Bulandshahar) to Purkazi (Muzaffarnagar), covering 216 km in Uttar Pradesh. It connects the National Capital Region (NCR) with Western Uttar Pradesh and is planned to extend to Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
- Eastern Peripheral Expressway
- A six-lane expressway that passes through Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, covering 135 km and linking Baghpat, Ghaziabad, and Noida.
- Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND)
- An eight-lane, 10.2 km long expressway that connects Delhi to Noida. This expressway, built and maintained by The Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited, opened on January 19, 2008.
Proposed Expressways
Several expressways are proposed in Uttar Pradesh:
- Bundelkhand Expressway
- A proposed 289 km, four-lane access-controlled highway announced in 2017, it will connect Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, and Auraiya districts.
- Purvanchal Expressway
- An under-construction six-lane divided and access-controlled highway that will connect Ghazipur and Azamgarh with Lucknow over 343 km.
- Prayag Expressway
- A proposed 150 km, four-lane access-controlled highway that will connect Lucknow to Prayagraj.
- Link Expressway
- A proposed 89 km, four-lane access-controlled highway that will connect Gorakhpur to Azamgarh.
Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral is a National Highway network connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. It is the largest highway project in India and the fifth longest in the world, featuring four and six-lane express highways. The project includes two proposed corridors: a North-South corridor connecting Srinagar (Jammu-Kashmir) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and an East-West corridor connecting Silchar (Assam) to Porbandar (Gujarat).
State Highways
State Highways in Uttar Pradesh connect the capital, district headquarters, and towns. The state has 83 state highways, totaling 8,432 km. Some major state highways include:
- SH-1: 154 km, passing through Maharajaganj, Gorakhpur, Ballia, and Deoria.
- SH-5: 350 km, passing through Siddharthnagar, Basti, Mirzapur, and Sonbhadra.
- SH-13: 228 km, passing through Barabanki, Raebareli, Bahraich, Fatehpur, and Banda.
- SH-21: 385 km, passing through Lakhimpur-Kheri, Hardoi, Kannauj, Auraiya, Sitapur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, and Mahoba.
- SH-33: Passing through Badaun, Kasganj, Bareilly, Meerut, and SikandraRao.
District Roads
District roads are crucial within a district, connecting production areas with markets and linking to State and National Highways. These roads are maintained by the Zila Parishad and classified into major district roads and other district roads, totaling 55,062 km in Uttar Pradesh.
Village Roads
Village roads connect one village to another, typically supporting low traffic. These roads are generally poor in shape and quality. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, launched in December 2000, aims to improve rural road connectivity. These roads are maintained by Village Panchayats, and the Lucknow Plan (1981-2001) focused on the development of these roads.
Transport System in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC)
Passenger road transport services in Uttar Pradesh began on May 15, 1947, with the launch of a bus service on the Lucknow-Barabanki route by the former Uttar Pradesh Government Roadways. Later, during the Fourth Five Year Plan, the Government Roadways was renamed the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) on June 1, 1972, under the provisions of the Road Transports Act, 1950.
The corporation is organized into regions, each further divided into operational units called depots. There are 106 depots across the state, including a car section. The headquarters of UPSRTC is located in Lucknow. The corporation provides several services:
- Mahanagriye (Metro) Bus Sewa: This service operates in seven metropolitan cities—Lucknow, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura, and the industrial city of Gautam Buddh Nagar.
- Jan Rath Bus Sewa: UPSRTC manages the Jan Rath AC buses, which were introduced in January 2015, operating primarily from Lucknow and Ghaziabad.
- Lohia Grameen Bus Sewa: Introduced in February 2015, this service aims to connect rural areas to cities. The service operates 13 new buses under the name “Meri Bus Mera Maarg.”
- Radio Taxi Sewa: Launched on November 22, 2013, in Lucknow, this service provides safe, comfortable, and air-conditioned transport within the state.
Uttar Pradesh Road Safety Policy, 2014
The Government of Uttar Pradesh launched the Road Safety Policy on September 22, 2014, aiming to reduce road accidents and fatalities. Uttar Pradesh was the first state in India to implement such a policy, and for NH-2 and NH-25, the state established the first Highway Police.
Rail Transport
Uttar Pradesh has an extensive railway network, with about 9,167 km of railway lines, making it the state with the largest railway network in India. The first train in the state ran from Allahabad to Kanpur in March 1859. The state’s railway museum is located in Varanasi.
There are 17 railway zones in India, five of which are in Uttar Pradesh: Northern Railway, North-Eastern Railway, East Central Railway, North Central Railway, and West Central Railway. The Railway Security Council and Loco Factory are located in Lucknow, with the Diesel Locomotive Works Factory established in Varanasi on April 23, 1956, by India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Uttar Pradesh’s significant railway highlights include:
- Lucknow Railway Station: Established in 1926, it is the state’s first railway station.
- Central Railway Electrification Organisation: Established in 1985 in Prayagraj.
- Gorakhpur Railway Platform: The world’s largest railway platform, measuring 1366.40 meters.
- Gatimaan Express: India’s fastest train, launched on April 5, 2016, running between Nizamuddin and Agra at 160 km/hr.
- Vande Bharat Express (Train 18): A semi-high-speed electric train launched on February 15, 2019.
READ MORE – MINERAL RESOURCES OF UTTAR PRADESH
Metro Rail
Uttar Pradesh operates metro rail services in Lucknow and Noida-Greater Noida, with plans to expand to other metropolitan cities like Prayagraj, Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra, and Meerut.
- Lucknow Metro Rail: Inaugurated on December 1, 2016, and opened to the public on September 5, 2017.
- Noida-Greater Noida Metro Rail: Began operation in January 2019.
Air Transport
Uttar Pradesh has a growing air transport network, with 2 international airports and 4 domestic airports, along with 46 airstrips across the state. The international airports are:
- Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport: Located in Lucknow.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport: Located in Varanasi.
The state also hosts several airforce-controlled airports, a pilot training institute, and civil aviation training centers.
Water Transport
Water transport in Uttar Pradesh is available on rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghara, and Gomati. The National Waterway-1, stretching from Haldia (West Bengal) to Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), is the longest waterway in India, spanning 1,620 km. The first waterway terminal in Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated in 2018 near Varanasi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
FAQs
Question 1: As per the National Highway Authority of India, which is the longest highway in Uttar Pradesh?
ANSWER: NH 34
Question 2: As per the National Highway Authority of India, which is the smallest highway in Uttar Pradesh?
ANSWER: NH 219
Question 3: What is the total length of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway?
ANSWER: 302 km
Question 4: Which expressway connects the National Capital Region (NCR) with Western Uttar Pradesh?
ANSWER: Upper Ganga Canal
Question 5: What is the total length of the proposed Bundelkhand Expressway?
ANSWER: 289 km
Question 6: Under the Golden Quadrilateral Project, the North-South and East-West corridors are divided from each other in which Janpad of Uttar Pradesh?
ANSWER: Jhansi
Question 7: In which year was the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana launched?
ANSWER: 25th December, 2000
Question 8: When was the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation established?
ANSWER: 1st June, 1972
Question 9: Where is the headquarters of UPSRTC located?
ANSWER: Lucknow
Question 10: Which bus service was started in January 2015?
ANSWER: Jan Rath Bus Services
Question 11: In which year was the Road Safety Policy launched by the Uttar Pradesh Government?
ANSWER: 2014
Question 12: From where to where was the first train started in Uttar Pradesh?
ANSWER: Allahabad to Kanpur
Question 13: In which year was the first Locker on Wheel service started in Shatabdi Express?
ANSWER: 1994
Question 14: Where is the electric driver training center located?
ANSWER: Ghaziabad
Question 15: In December 2016, between which two places did Indian Railways start the first Humsafar express?
ANSWER: Anand Vihar and Gorakhpur
Question 16: When was the Northern Railway Zone established?
ANSWER: 14th April, 1952
Question 17: In which year was the North Eastern Railway bifurcated into two Railway Zones, North-Eastern Railway and North-East Railway?
ANSWER: 15th January, 1958
Question 18: In which year did North Central Railway (NCR) come into existence?
ANSWER: 2003
Question 19: Where is the North-Central Railway headquarters located?
ANSWER: Prayagraj
Question 20: Name the airport situated in Varanasi.
ANSWER: Babatpur
Question 21: Where is Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy located?
ANSWER: Amethi
Question 22: Where is the Civil Aviation Training Centre located?
ANSWER: Allahabad
Question 23: Where is the National Parachute Training College located?
ANSWER: Agra
Question 24: Where is Army aviation in Uttar Pradesh located?
ANSWER: Jhansi
Question 25: When was the National Waterway-1 opened?
ANSWER: 27th October, 1986
Question 26: Which of the following statements is/are correct: I. The longest train of the country is Prayagraj Express. II. Diesel Locomotives Works Factory was established on 23rd April, 1956?
ANSWER: Both I and II
Question 27: Match the following airports with their locations: A. Babatpur – Varanasi, B. Kheriya – Agra, C. Sarsawa – Saharanpur, D. Chakeri – Kanpur.
ANSWER: A. Varanasi, B. Agra, C. Saharanpur, D. Kanpur
Question 28: Which of the following is correctly matched: A. Railway Security Council – Kanpur, B. Loco Factory – Lucknow, C. Diesel Locomotives Works Factory – Allahabad, D. Third Rail Coach Factory – Varanasi?
ANSWER: Loco Factory – Lucknow
Question 29: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched: A. Kanpur – Chakeri, B. Varanasi – Babatpur, C. Lucknow – Amausi, D. Agra – Fursatganj?
ANSWER: Agra – Fursatganj
Question 30: Which of the following is not correctly matched: A. Taj International Airport – Gautam Budh Nagar, B. Dr. BR Ambedkar International Airport – Meerut, C. Ch. Charan Singh Airport – Lucknow, D. Hindon Airport – Bareilly?
ANSWER: Hindon Airport – Bareilly
