The road construction was said to have been too costly in India due to the terrain, the rivers, and the high repair costs due to the monsoons. This was the main reason due to which road length grew at a much slower pace than the railways.
Thomas Stephens was the first Englishman to reach India, at least by sea route. He sailed for India on a Portuguese ship as a Jesuit missionary on 4th April 1579 and landed at Goa six months later, on 24th october.