5.2.5

Transport in the UK

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Improvements in the UK's Transport Infrastructure

The UK has continued to improve its transport network, but mainly the transport network close to London.

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Roads

  • The UK created 400 miles of 'smart motorways', which remove the hard shoulder (for emergencies) and add a new lane.
  • This increases the capacity of the UK's roads, but many people have been killed when they break down on a smart motorway with no hard shoulder.
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Railways and public transport

  • London's tube system has 11 lines.
  • Crossrail has just delivered the Elizabeth line. Despite being named under the same system and having underground sections, the Elizabeth line is not classified as a London Underground line.
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Airports

  • The UK government has debated building a new runway at Heathrow, at Gatwick, or building a new airport on the Thames Estuary. None have happened yet.
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London

  • London is the best-connected city in the UK.
  • It has 4 airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, City, and Stansted) and Heathrow is the 7th busiest airport in the world transporting 75 million passengers each year.
  • Trains from Kings Cross-St Pancras travel through the Channel Tunnel to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
  • London is well-connected to the rest of the UK and you can travel to Manchester on Avanti trains in 2 hours.
  • London has not been a port since 1981.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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