Getting there
Visit www.bestvaluefares.co.uk to find the latest deals and offers from all Britain's rail operators. The website also offers deals on entry to attractions, theatres and exhibitions when you travel there by train.
Lesson 2
TRAVELLING BY TRAIN
Recycle the vocabulary discussed at the previous lesson (quiz, bingo, hot chair, oral rendering).
Discuss the text. Answer the questions:
Where is Ben Fogle going in the train?
What is he seeing on the way? What landscapes and places of interests pass by?
Why does he love trains?
What was his first train journey experience like?
Did he enjoy it? Why?
Why can a rail travel be great value for money?
Can you save much money?
What is his favourite trip?
What places does the train pass after pulling out of the station t Paddington?
What places of interest can Ben see?
How can Ben tell that the train is heading towards the ocean?
Who shares his carriage and what are they doing?
Does Ben have a family? How many of them?
How did you know?
Has his son travelled to any places by train?
Does Ben find travelling by train invigorating?
Is the tiny station of Penzance the end of the journey for inquisitive travellers?
What is the best way to explore Britain? (in Ben's opinion) Why?
What is your favourite train route?
Render into English:
Какое романтическое место – железнодорожная станция!.. Здесь происходят встречи и прощания, слышатся прощальные поцелуи и вздохи, пожелания счастливого пути и обещания ждать возвращения. Раздается свисток, вы садитесь в вагон, поезд медленно отъезжает от перрона, позади остается суета большого города – вот вы и отправились в путешествие! Поезд мчится сквозь поля и леса, вдоль рек и ручьев навстречу приключениям. Мимо проносятся зеленые луга и поля, изредка взгляд цепляется за отдельно стоящие домики, ветряные мельницы и церквушки. Вот в поле зрения появляется старинный замок с огромным парком. Вообще, путешествия на поезде – лучший и самый недорогой способ исследовать страну. Если у вас семейный проездной, можно сэкономить до трети цены на взрослый билет и до 60 процентов на детский. К тому же вы избавлены от перекрытых на время ремонта дорог и автомобильных пробок. И помните: для настоящих, пытливых путешественников конечная станция – лишь начало следующего маршрута.
Read the additional text and say which tips can be used for Russian trains and find in the text equivalents for the following Russian words and expressions:
Опаздывать, время отправления, разрозненный багаж, ходить по путям, тележка, детская коляска, сойти с поезда, час-пик, неавтоматические двери, сидеть на корточках, привилегии / бонусы, «заяц», спальный вагон
Answer the questions:
What warning devices used on the railways do you know?
Do you think the situation is much the same in Russia or do we have more pronounced difference between the first and the standard class?
Tips for rail travel
At the station
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.
Do not walk on the tracks except at an authorized, controlled crossing or under the direction of staff. Look both ways before crossing, even if warning devices are operating. Do not cross against warning devices.
Stay behind any yellow lines on platforms except when you are actually boarding.
Stand well back from the platform edge when express or through trains pass the station. They can generate a lot of suction as they pass.
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.
Boarding
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. (This doesn't apply to some frequent services at rush hour, where waiting a few extra seconds can cause the line to lock up, but on such a service it is no great loss to wait the few extra minutes for the next train.)
When boarding, stand on either side of the door(s) when other passengers are unboarding. Making sure there is a clear and empty path in the direction of the platform exit for unboarding passengers will ensure a quicker (un)boarding.
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. In some countries, stations are divided into zones and diagrams show you what zone your coach number corresponds to; for Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains, even the exact positions of the doors are painted 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 this only in an emergency as once the train is stopped this way it may need to be inspected from end to end - which may cause a considerable delay. There are often fines for stopping a train inappropriately and you may be put off the train where it is stopped and handed over to the Police. Missing your station is not a valid reason to stop the train.)
Some Intercity trains in the United Kingdom have manual doors with central locking. When the door can be opened, an amber light is lit to the side of the door on the outside, and a sign is lit above the door on the inside. Do not attempt to open a locked door. All doors open outwards. 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.
On board
Tuck away your luggage as much as you can. Don't let it block the way or the seats for other passengers.
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.
Accommodation on board
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)
If you are on a British or Dutch peak time train, or on some trains in India or China, you may find that all the seats (if any) are taken. Do the best you can to find a safe place to stand or squat. Do not occupy the roof, the toilet, the luggage racks or the space under the seats or tables.
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.
Some trains in India and other countries tolerate the practice of persons travelling on the roof, between cars, or hanging at the sides. Although no ticket is needed, this may be a dangerous form of travel due to the possibility of falling, or to the lack of clearance from tunnels, cables, posts, or other overhead or lateral structures. If travelling like this, it is necessary to imitate what the locals do (for instance, lying low because of the approach of a tunnel or an overhead cable). A tourist should normally refrain from such risky adventures, and pay the ticket for travelling inside the train. In most lines the practice is forbidden altogether, and may result in being fined or arrested.
Travelling in freight trains (or in freight wagons of mixed freight-passenger compositions) is tolerated sometimes, but often forbidden. Although it may seem an intrepid part of hobo culture, it is not without risk. The train may even stop and order the stowaways out, who may be taken under police custody or may be not very kindly treated by a "reception committee" armed with heavy sticks. This form of travel is not normally an option for the tourist, even on a low budget.
(from http://wikitravel.org/en/Tips_for_rail_travel)
HOME ASSIGNMENT:
1) Put down advantages and disadvantages of travelling by train and be ready to discuss them.
2) Study the text and find out the meanings of the idioms:
Karl was full of enthusiasm when he started his university course. He worked extremely hard at first but, after a couple of years, he ran out of steam and lost interest in his studies. He spent much more time going to parties and staying out all night than studying, and his tutor worried that he had gone off the rails. But then Karl fell in love with a girl in his department. Now, six months down the line, he is back on track towards gaining an excellent degree and fulfilling his dreams.
3) Read the text about travelling by train in New Zealand, be ready to discuss the contents and the underlined vocabulary.
From Wellington to Auckland
