Transportation Engineering CIEN 362 American University of Ras Al Khamiah, UAE Civil & Infrastructure Engineering

1. Mode of Transportation 1
Batoul Alshamali
CIEN 362 Transportation Engineering
January 9, 2016
Mode of Transportations
Archaic human used animals like camels and mammoth etc. in the different spots on
earth for moving purposes either goods or passengers though, the journeys might take years.
The necessity of moving arises the issue of having better methods for travelling. In 810-887
Abbas ibn Firnace attempted employing wings. Then, 1807, François Isaac de Rivaz designed
the first car powered by an internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen. The human
civilization history is full of people who tried to improve and invent something new that can
help us in travelling.
As far as the ancient Greeks, tracks of stone or wood with horse power or men had
been established. In 2003 UAE and GCC countries started railway project that will connect
between the six countries of the GCC starting from Kuwait and Ending in Oman. Over 2000
Km expected to be constructed by the end of 2018 under Etihad Rail company. The
advantages of the railways are many, it’s dependable which means doesn’t rely on the
weather conditions such as rainy or snowy etc. due to its dependent the schedules and routes
are fixed so it’s better organized than the modes who depend on the weather. Except the
airways, we can consider the railway the fastest mode of transportation over long distances. It
is the only mode that has an elastic capacity where by adding more wagons, the capacity
increases. On the hand, it costs millions for example the Etihad project costs 15 billion
dollars because of the huge capacity of the outlay for constructions, maintenance and
expenses need a huge investment of capital. Since the routes are fixed, can’t be adjusted for

2. Mode of Transportation 2
individual requirements and automatically this will prevent the door to door services. Usually
the government invests capital in such a huge project as services but this will give it a
monopoly role where there is only one company that can affect the market, only one seller
controls the prices, it’s uneconomic for short distance travelling or small loads. Indian
railways had suffered a heavy loss of gangs who can attack the trains but it still considered as
a safe mode of transportation.
In 1899 the wright brothers’ success in making the human beings fly. After a century
and 17 years the airways represent the safest and fastest mode of transportation. Unlike the
railways, the airways don’t need a huge capital investment because there are no constructing
routes, maintain it. In all the other modes, if you want to travel from place to another, you
have to stop in each country’ boarders that you cross but, in this mode there is no physical
barriers which saves time. In natural calamities such as, flooding and hurricanes, rescuing
operation is for helicopters. It considers as a safest mode due to the national defense and easy
access. The human discovered the space and putted his foots on the moon and early we
discovered earth2. All of that is possible under the airways existence. Unfortunately, airways
are a huge major that require a skillful people in too many fields which doesn’t help in the
employing. Using cars would cheaper for the customers of using airlines.
Before, the artificial water-level in Egypt Suez Canal, travelling from Europe to Asia
was taking more than six months using ships. Travelling using the waterways has a low cost.
It’s insufficient to export or import the goods using airlines because it is so expensive, until
this date all of the trading and countries economic depend on the navy ferries and cargo ships.
Besides, the containerization using the containers over the seas for goods opened the gate for
the globalization. Knowing that it’s relatively slow mode and unsuitable for small business.
The wondering of the UAE development is the Jabl Ali which is the largest port that refreshes
the economy of the country.

3. Mode of Transportation 3
Comparing between the modes of transportations give us a spectacular ideas of the
history of innovations. Improving making reliable decisions. Travelling around the world
mixed the cultures and helping in improving our relationships. Accepting new ideas from
around the world and discovering great wonderlands and sometimes facing some hurtful
situations.