With lots of unusual and exciting methods of travel across the world, it’s no wonder that there are lots of fun facts and statistics to go with them!

We’re looking at some of the little-known methods of travel and unusual facts and figures to go with them in this week’s blog…

12 Fun Facts about the World’s Transport Systems

• At any one time there are over 60,000 people in the air over the US. [Source: Direct Holidays]
• One-third of the world’s airports are in the U.S. [Source: OMG Facts]
• The shortest flight for sale is the one which arrives at the Scottish Isle of Westray and lands in Papa Westray – it lasts for a grand total of just two minutes. [Source: Buzzfeed]
• The world’s longest flight is from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas and lasts about 16 hours. [Source: Buzzfeed]
• The Concorde was the fastest plane in the world. Its fastest transatlantic crossing was on 7 February 1996 when it completed the New York to London flight in 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds. – compared to an average of six hours on a standard plane. It was banned in 2003 for health and safety reasons. [Source: Oddizzi]
• India’s Blueline buses have been nicknamed “killer buses” because of their dangerous reputation. [Source: Green Car Reports]
• The standard London Underground map which everybody is familiar with, has existed since the 1930s, however it is not – as some might believe – the accurate representation of how your train travels. The real map was made public because of a Freedom of Information Act request and shows all of the curves and corners that you actually travel! See it here. [Source: Buzzfeed]
• The world’s fastest train is the Maglev – in Shanghai – which can cover 30.5km in eight minutes. It runs with maglev technology, ‘magnetic levitation’, meaning there is no friction so the vehicle makes virtually no sound when travelling. [Source: India Today]
• There are 3.410bn annual riders of the Beijing subway system. Following them in popularity of annual riders is Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Moscow, Guangzhou, New York City, Mexico City, Hong Kong and Paris which finishes the top ten. [Source: MTA]
• The escalators at all the Delhi metro stations are provided with unique ‘sari guard’ feature that side tracks loose clothing such as saris of ladies from getting trapped in the escalator. [Source: India Today]
• Japanese bullet trains are always clean! The clean-up crew for the Shinkansen trains can clean the complete train in seven minutes and the process is now referred to as “Shinkansen Theater”. Search it on YouTube! [Source: Discover Japan Now]
• Only 60% of the subway system in New York City is underground and if all of the tracks which make up the subway system were laid to end to end it would stretch from New York to Chicago! [Source: Buzzfeed]

What are your favourite unusual transport facts and statistics? Tweet them to us at @stanley_travel!

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