The transport system in the United Kingdom is well developed. A radial road network of 29'145 miles (46'632 km) of main roads is centred on London, Edinburgh and Belfast, whilst, in Great Britain, a motorway network of 2173 miles (3477 km) is centred on both Birmingham and London.
There are a further 213'750 miles (342'000 km) of paved roads. The national rail network of 10'072 route miles (16'116 route km) in Great Britain and 189 route miles (303 route km) in Northern Ireland carries over 18'000 passenger and 1'000 freight trains daily.
Urban rail networks are also well developed in London and several other cities. Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport, and the UK has a considerable network of ports which received over 558 million tonnes of goods in 2003-04.
| Airports: |
471 (2004 est.)
|
Geographic
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 334
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 149
914 to 1,523 m: 85
under 914 m: 59 (2005 est.)
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| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 137
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 112 (2005 est.)
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| Heliports: |
11 (2005 est.)
|
| Pipelines: |
condensate 370 km; gas 21,446 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 6,420 km; oil/gas/water 63 km; refined products 4,474 km (2004)
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| Railways: |
total: 17,274 km
standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,296 km electrified)
broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2004)
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| Roadways: |
total: 392,931 km
paved: 392,931 km (including 3,431 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2003)
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| Waterways: |
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2004)
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| Merchant marine: |
total: 429 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 9,181,284 GRT/9,566,275 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 55, chemical tanker 48, container 134, liquefied gas 11, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum tanker 40, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned: 202 (Australia 3, Canada 15, Denmark 38, Finland 2, Germany 56, Greece 4, Ireland 1, Italy 9, Netherlands 12, Norway 28, South Africa 4, Sweden 15, Taiwan 7, United States 8)
registered in other countries: 446 (2005)
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| Ports and terminals: |
Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport
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