Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Some

people

believe that a

government

should invest more in the rail system and build more

railroads

rather than diverting funds to improving highways and road transportation systems. To a certain point, I would agree with the statement, but I

also

believe that the decision of building railways or roads should be made based on the natural conditions of the area and the preference of citizens. On the one hand, it is understandable if some

people

opine that a

government

should expand more

railroads

rather than roads and streets.

Firstly

, it is obvious that when a country has extensive rail networks, it will positively affect the logistic cost. The selling price of many goods would be cheaper since a single locomotive could carry tonnes of crops, goods or liquor.

Secondly

, by building integrated subway stations in city

areas

, traffic congestion could be avoided.

For example

, as Singapore has a very good train network, called MRT, most of the

people

rarely drive on their vehicles.

As a result

, Singapore is free from traffic congestion and air pollution.

On the other hand

, it is

also

important for a

government

to do some feasibility studies about the geological conditions of an area before planning to improve

railroads

. It is a fact that some

areas

might not be suitable for railways, as those

areas

might have swamps or rocky mountains,

for example

. If the

government

finalise building railway networks, the investment cost might be unreasonably high.

For instance

, Borneo in Indonesia is one of the largest islands in the world, but most of the

areas

are swamps. So it is not suitable for

railroads

but good for an integrated water and road transportation system.

Finally

, the preference of citizens should

also

be considered before investing in construction on

railroads

or highways. In conclusion, a

government

should invest in building

railroads

where applicable, but should

also

analyse thoroughly before spending money solely on railways. The authority needs to ensure that their

areas

are suitable for rail networks and

people

prefer that transportation system.