Kiev High-Speed Tram

The route of the first high-speed tram line in Kiev starts from the residential area of Nikolskaya Borshchagovka and ends in the centre of the city on the Victory Square. The length of the line that was put into operation in 1978 is 9,25 km (measured along the street axis).

It is laid on the isolated strip of land 10 m wide separated from the motorway by a wire netting fence 1,7 m high and in some sections, where the traffic safety requires, - by a semirigid fence. The crossings of the tramline with motorways and pedestrian passages are made at different levels. The route has five grade-crossing elimination structures and 12 stations. The average length of a leg between stations is 835 m. The line terminals are of ground type. Three stations are integrated with the grade-crossing elimination structures and the other seven – with pedestrian subways. The passenger boarding platforms of the ground stations are provided with roofs.

The tracks are open, made of all-welded rails, type P-65, and clamp-bolted to concrete sleepers. The route bed is made of crushed granite. The contact system is of longitudinally sectionalized design having weight compensation on the brackets of the contact-line metal supports installed between the tracks.

Nearby the ‘Gnat Yura’ station the line branches off towards the residential area of Yuzhnaya Borshchagovka. This branch has a grade crossing with the motorway. Here the stations are not yet provided with subways, that is why this line falls into the category of accelerated traffic lines. Therefore the route operates in two duties: high-speed and combined ones.

At rush hours the three-car trains travel at two or three minutes intervals. Optimum intervals and speeds are maintained by the automatic system which comprises the automatic blocking and automatic locomotive signalling devices with automatic control of the train travel speed and consists of the track and train facilities.

Information of the track traffic condition is transmitted to the driver through the rail circuits via the car receiving coils in the form of directions for the train allowable speed. In case of excessive speed a signal is delivered to the car control braking circuits thus ensuring the optimum speed and traffic safety. The traffic on the line is automatically controlled by a computer.

The high-speed tram has become quite customary for the residents of Kiev. Its operating speed is 24,9 kph. With the annual passenger turnover of over 48 million kph the high-speed tram saves about five million man-hours per year as compared with the conventional tram.

The high-speed tram traffic is extended from the Victory Square to the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War Square. At this section three stations are connected with the underground railway stations.

Column A Column B

1. put into operation a. allowed rate at which something

moves or travels

2. isolated strip of land b. one part of a long journey between

places where trains regularly stop

3. leg between stations c. a raised place beside a railway track

where you can get on and off a train

in a station

4. passenger boarding platform d. normal and usual for people living in

a particular place

5. admissible speed e. make something start to work

6. quite customary for the residents f. a separate long narrow area

1	2	3	4	5	6

D. Put in the following words in each space in the text below. ***

on (2) in (4) for (3) of (2) under with (2)

Apart from Blackpool, (1) _____ the Lancashire coast, all the tram systems which operated in many (2) _____ the major towns and cities (3) _____ Britain between the wars were closed (4) _____ the 1940s and 1950s to make way (5) _____ the motorcar. Now, however, there has been a renewal (6) _____ interest in the tram concept, (7) _____ major systems already (8) _____ operation in Manchester and Sheffield, and networks (9) _____ construction in Croydon (south London) and Birmingham. The Manchester Metrolink has been remarkably successful (10) _____ 13,8 million trips in 1997 and there are several plans (11) _____ extensions. Work (12) _____ a new light rail system (13) _____ Nottingham, which was authorized (14) _____ December 1998, is due to begin in 1999.