Mode of transport (or
means of transport or
types of transport or
transport modality or
form of transport) is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform
transport. The most dominant modes of transport are
aviation,
ship transport, and land transport, which includes
rail,
road and
off-road transport. Other modes also exist, including
pipelines,
cable transport, and
space transport.
Human-powered transport and
animal-powered transport are sometimes regarded as their own mode, but these normally also fall into the other categories. In general, transportation is used for the movement of people, animals, and other things. Each mode of transport has a fundamentally different technological solution, and some require a separate environment. Each mode has its own
infrastructure,
vehicles, and
operations, and often has unique regulations. Each mode also has separate subsystems. A subsystem is a group of many parts that make up one part. All modes of transportation have 6 subsystems:
Propulsion, Suspension, Control, Guidance, Structural, and Support. Transport using more than one mode is described as
intermodal. Transportation that carries around many people and can be used by the public is known as Mass Transportation.