The line graph illustrates changes in the amount of goods transported in the UK between 1974 and 2002 using four different modes of transport: road, water, rail and pipeline. Overall, goods carried by road, water and pipeline showed an upward trend throughout the period. In contrast, rail transport fluctuated and did not experience significant overall growth. Road transport was the most commonly used method during the whole period, while pipeline accounted for the smallest proportion despite a steady increase.
In 1974, road transport carried about 60 million tonnes of goods. Although there was a slight fluctuation in the late 1970s, the figure then rose steadily and reached approximately 120 million tonnes by 2002. Water transport ranked second, starting at around 40 million tonnes and increasing gradually to just over 60 million tonnes by the end of the period, despite a small decline in the mid-1990s.
Rail transport began at roughly 40 million tonnes but dropped to about 30 million tonnes in the early 1980s. After that, it fluctuated before recovering to nearly 40 million tonnes in 2002. By comparison, pipeline transport carried the least amount of goods, rising steadily from about 5 million tonnes in 1974 to just over 20 million tonnes at the end of the period.