Transport network

The transport network, or transportation network consists of the totality of all installations on or below the surface of the earth on which the spatial movement of people and goods takes place. Transport networks are part of the transport infrastructure.

On topographic maps the set of all railways, roads and airfields with associated buildings is considered as a traffic network.

From verkehrsgeografischer view is the transport network of edges, nodes and the hinterland of the periphery. The nodes or centers are connected by the edges which receive the traffic stream. The hinterland or periphery is supplied by each node. This division into nodes and edges makes it possible to simplify complex networks, and to examine the graph theory.

Examples

• In transport networks for data traffic ( " data network " ) the edges of the provider and the nodes are the telecommunication networks.
• In transport networks for electric power ( " mains " ) edges are the pipelines and nodes switching stations and substations.
• In transport networks for gas ( " gas grid " ) are the edges of pipes and nodes compressor stations.
• In transport networks for piece goods the edges the streets and the nodes are the hubs ( the hubs can also be a temporary storage place )

Structure and orientation

Short distances between the individual nodes can be a target for the development of the transport network. May also be trying to keep construction and maintenance costs of the transport network as low as possible. Depending on what is required, resulting in a coarse - or fine-mesh structure.

Transport networks can be addressed differently. The transport may take place either in only one direction, such as for gas, oil and bulk cargoes. There are also networks with no preferred direction, such as for electricity and for piece goods.

Optimization

In the transport sector there are various sub-tasks in order to maintain a transportation network economically and operate transportation in this transport network.

• There are in most transport networks a hierarchy for the distribution of goods over long distances, such as maritime transport from continent to continent, the road from town to town, and finally the distribution traffic from camp to camp.
• Very carefully optimized transport networks carry traffic on various means of transport, such as by boat, by plane or by train and truck