TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
Travel by road has become the favoured method of transport for both people and freight since services on the extensive railway system, created in the late 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria, began to be cut back in the 1960s. In common with the Japanese and Australians, but contrary to the practice in most other countries, the British drive on the left-hand side of the road; therefore, their cars have steering wheels on the right-hand side. Rail links between major cities are good, but rural services are sparse, and many local commuter services are heavily criticized by those who rely on them. In the early 1990s the Conservative government introduced a controversial plan to privatize the rail system, which is now under way. Taxis are common in the cities, but public transport is mainly by bus. London has an underground system known as the Tube. The domestic air network is good, and international air links are extremely good. London's Heathrow is the busiest international airport in the world.
Because it is an island nation, shipping has always been important to the UK. There are ferry services to Scandinavia and Ireland and across the English Channel. In 1994 the UK opened a direct rail link with France via the newly built Channel Tunnel. The “Chunnel” carries private cars and freight underneath the English Channel. On the French side of the tunnel, high-speed rail services run to Paris. On the English side, equivalent high-speed services to and around London are unlikely to be in operation much before the turn of the century.
Telecommunications are well advanced, with fibre-optic cable links and satellite systems. Most British homes have telephones and televisions. Numerous daily newspapers are available throughout the nation.
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONTravel by road has become the favoured method of transport for both people and freight since services on the extensive railway system, created in the late 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria, began to be cut back in the 1960s. In common with the Japanese and Australians, but contrary to the practice in most other countries, the British drive on the left-hand side of the road; therefore, their cars have steering wheels on the right-hand side. Rail links between major cities are good, but rural services are sparse, and many local commuter services are heavily criticized by those who rely on them. In the early 1990s the Conservative government introduced a controversial plan to privatize the rail system, which is now under way. Taxis are common in the cities, but public transport is mainly by bus. London has an underground system known as the Tube. The domestic air network is good, and international air links are extremely good. London's Heathrow is the busiest international airport in the world.Because it is an island nation, shipping has always been important to the UK. There are ferry services to Scandinavia and Ireland and across the English Channel. In 1994 the UK opened a direct rail link with France via the newly built Channel Tunnel. The “Chunnel” carries private cars and freight underneath the English Channel. On the French side of the tunnel, high-speed rail services run to Paris. On the English side, equivalent high-speed services to and around London are unlikely to be in operation much before the turn of the century.
Telecommunications are well advanced, with fibre-optic cable links and satellite systems. Most British homes have telephones and televisions. Numerous daily newspapers are available throughout the nation.
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