| Abstract: | The levels of development of production and transportation are compared for the western and eastern zones of the USSR. The low density of the transport net in the East, combined with the high cost of transport construction and a manpower shortage, tends to favor the development of large industrial complexes within limited areas making use of the zone's unique natural resource base. Such areally concentrated development would reduce the need for local transport systems and make more investment available for the more efficient mainline routes. The western zone, with its virtually continuous economic development and denser transport net, favors a more uniform location of production and the increasing location of industry in small and middle-size cities, which would ease the load on heavily used mainline transport routes and make greater use of local forms of transportation, including motor freight. |
