Long Answer
Hard difficulty • Structured explanation
Question 1
Long FormAnalyse how physiographic factors have influenced the distribution of the railway network in India, with reference to specific regions.
- The northern plains, with vast level land, high population density and rich agricultural resources, provided the most favourable conditions for railway expansion, though wide rivers required bridge construction.
- The peninsular plateau required railway tracks to be laid through low hills, gaps or tunnels, making construction costlier and slower than in the plains.
- The Himalayan regions are highly unfavourable due to high relief, sparse population and lack of economic opportunities, resulting in minimal railway presence.
- Sandy plains of western Rajasthan, swamps of Gujarat, forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand also posed significant engineering and economic challenges to railway expansion.
- The Konkan Railway overcame the barrier of the Sahyadri ranges by traversing through gaps and passes, though it continues to face problems like track sinking and landslides in some sections.