Questions for discussion

1. What are the adventures of train travel?

2. What do some people go by train for?

3. What are the adventures of train travel by night?

4. What are disadvantages of going by train?

5. What are the most famous train routs in the world?

Mrs.L. panted along the platform in the wake of the porter carrying her suit-case. Mrs.L. was burdened with a large quantity of parcels, the result of a day’s Christmas shopping. The race was, therefore, an uneven one.

No I platform was not at the moment unduly crowded, a crowd was rushing in several directions at once, to and from undergrounds, left-luggage offices, tea-rooms, inquiry offices, indicator-boards, and the two outlets, Arrival and Departure, to the outside world.

Mrs.L. and her parcels arrived eventually at the entrance to No 3 Platform. She searched her bag for the ticket that would enable her to pass the stern uniformed guardian at the gate. At last Mrs.L. found her ticket and presented it. The man clipped it and murmured: «On the right-rear portion».

Mrs.L. went up the platform and found her porter outside the door of a third-class carriage.

«Here you are, lady».

«I’m travelling first-class», said Mrs.L.

«You didn’t say so», grumbled the porter.

The porter retrieved the suit-case and marched with it to the adjoining coach where Mrs.L. was installed in solitary splendour. Mrs.L. handed the porter his tip which he received with disappointment clearly considering it more applicable to third-class than to first-class travel.

Comprehension questions.

1. Why was Mrs.L. burdened with a large quantity of parcels?

2. Where was a crowd rushing to and from?

3. Who is allowed to pass to a platform by the uniformed guardian?

4. Where did Mrs.L. find her porter?

5. Was the porter satisfied with the tip?

6. What class was Mrs. L. travelling by?

Read the text below. Mach choices (A – G) to (1 – 7).

TIPS FOR RAIL TRAVEL

1.______________

Be aware that it can be very expensive in some countries to travel by train. Especially high speed trains can be as expensive as — but more convenient than — flying.

If you can, book in advance. In many countries you may benefit from a substantial discount. Reserving a seat, on the other hand, will usually incur a small surcharge - in these countries, you will have to decide whether or not the train will be empty enough for seats to be readily available.

Before or as you commit to a particular trip, do some research about the designs of trains and stations you will use. Look for sources that describe differences in height of the train or its distance from the boarding platform to ensure you can manage your luggage. Look for where you can store your larger luggage preferably on the same car as your seat, but it may be in a separate car. Try to keep smaller pieces and valuables/irreplaceables with you. Consider ways you can secure large luggage contents and each piece that may be stored out-of-sight, e.g., with color-coded nylon straps connecting zipper-pulls, a cable-lock connecting handles of two or more pieces.

2. ___________

««««««««««   ««««««««««

In western countries, Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons and public holidays are also not good choices of time. Please be particularly careful when travelling on Sundays and public holidays, as services are often reduced or non-existent.

3. ___________

Be on time, or early. Though trains have a reputation for running late, they always seem to run early when you are running late to catch them. If you have bought the tickets in advance turning up 10 min before departure is more than enough. Bear in mind that trains often close the doors a minute before the official time of departure.

Many trains (especially faster ones) call for very brief intervals at smaller stations, sometimes as short as 30 seconds. Have all your luggage at hand and be prepared to board quickly. Tuck away loose pieces of luggage like drinks, maps, guidebooks and coats before the train arrives to ensure a smooth boarding procedure.

Please don't run if you can avoid it.

Stay behind any yellow lines on platforms except when you are actually boarding.

Face the platform edge if you are wearing a backpack, so the pack won't be caught by a moving train.

If you have a pram with you (or, for that matter, anything else with wheels or rollers), keep an eye on it, make sure the brakes (if any) are engaged and position it parallel to the tracks. This will minimize the risk of rolling on platforms which slope slightly towards the tracks.

Before boarding a train, wait until all passengers getting off at your station have unboarded. Trains will not depart if there are still people queueing to get on, even if it means they're a minute late.

Find out if the class or car you are boarding is in the front, middle or rear of the train and position yourself on the platform accordingly. Ask the staff on the platform.

Give way to encumbered passengers, such as people with lots of bags, people with children in strollers and people in wheelchairs. Offer them a hand if you can if they're struggling.

Do not enter or leave any train that is moving or while the doors are closing. If someone is caught in the door, alert the guard or operate the emergency stop/door release lever/button if the train begins to move.

Do not attempt to open a locked door. All doors open outwards. There is only one door handle and that is on the outside; to open the door from the inside this handle must be pushed down whilst reaching through the window. Please shut the door firmly if you are the last to board/alight. Do not lean against these doors, and use the emergency stop if one swings open.

5.____________

Trains offer a wide variation of amenities. Some trains offer airline style entertainment systems (when working and when the passenger has a seat). Others offer very little by way of facilities, some not offering even toilets.

Train toilets are also to widely varying standards; some may not flush and others may be extremely unhygienic, while others are spotless and extremely modern.

Some trains are fairly safe as far as petty criminal activity is concerned. Others are not. When in doubt, ensure that your luggage is kept in your sight at all times. If you have your own compartment, lock the door from the inside when sleeping, preferably with your own lock.

There are short water crossings where the whole train will embark into a ferry boat (for instance in the Baltic Sea, between Helsingor in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden). Passengers are normally allowed to leave the train and walk inside the ferry boat, but they should be back in the train before reaching port, which in the example mentioned is a sea crossing of only fifteen minutes.

6. ____________

If the train is lightly loaded, just sit anywhere (preferably where the seat is stable).

More typically, there will be some seats remaining. Double (or triple) seats are usually fairly hard to find (although there may be some at the far end of the train)

Many trains have first class accommodation. This can be affordable in some cases, or very expensive in others. You are paying (typically) for a wider seat and a much emptier compartment. The " perks" offered to first class ticket holders are usually fairly minimal (for example, free tea and coffee). Do not, under any circumstances, travel in first class unless you have a ticket or other permission to do so. In some countries (such as Belgium), pregnant women have first class access at no extra cost.

For overnight journeys, consider investing in a couchette or sleeper compartment, which are often cost-competitive with lodgings for the night. A couchette cabin has around 6 beds for sleeping and no other facilities, while a full-fledged sleeper will have two to four beds and possibly bathing facilities like a sink or shower.

7.__________

Trains travel at widely varying speeds. Fast trains in countries with efficient rail networks often travel at up to 300 km/h, making rail the fastest travel mode for fairly long distances.

Others, like the United Kingdom, have semi-major lines running as slow as 60 km/h (for example, Blackpool to Leeds, a distance of 135.4 km, takes 2.25 hours; this works out as 60.2 km/h). Other lines such as the East Coast Main Line run at 200 km/h; the 600 km journey between London and Edinburgh can take as little as 4 hours 20 mins.

a. At the station.

b. Ticketing

c. Accommodation on board

d. Boarding

e. On board

f. Speed of travel

g. When to travel

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