20.6 Think of the answers and give a reason to support what you say

1. What variants of rapid transit do you know?

2. How does the metro differ from other modes of rail transport?

3. What does the metro carrying capacity depend on?

4. Does the underground railways network in our country extend over the limits of the cities?

5. Does the metro reach commuter rail network in our country?

6. What factors allow the metro trains to use the railway lines?

7. What transport problems can the underground railway system solve?

8. What do the metro line arrangement in different countries look like?

9. What information facilities are the metro stations equipped with to help the passengers during their trips?

10. What can you say about the innovations in the metrosystem, for instance, in DRL or the Paris Metro?

11. Is there any convincing alternative to the metro for the nearest future?

20.7 Complete the following sentences in a suitable way

1. One of the best means to avoid traffic congestion and prevent traffic accidents in large cities is…………………………………………………….

2. The underground railway network solves the problems of public transport as well as………………………………………………………………………...

3. The Underground is the most reliable means of travel because….……..........

4. The Underground has no alternative in many European countries because…………………………………………………………………...

5. Building the metro through a busy city has been a challenge, because of the need to minimize disruption to road traffic and…………………………….

6. In transport, we must expect the unexpected because it always happens. The major objective is to improve safety because…………………………….......

20.8 Discuss the ideas expressed by these two engineers suggesting their solution of public transport development in modern cities

David: The population in cities is expected to double in the next 20 years. It is a challenge for public transport and a lack of high-quality transport will make such areas the realm of the private car, so the metro might become the preferred choice to improve urban mobility.

Michael: When demand goes up, the first thing to do is to add more services. While passenger numbers are increasing, I believe the metro is the most viable solution, because it is the only way to cope efficiently with huge flows of people, and make public transport attractive, successful and viable.

David: The latter is strategically important because only rail can compete effectively with cars on journey time and reliability. Buses are usually slower than cars because they stop frequently, and are often caught in traffic jams. Besides oil and petrol prices are rising rather rapidly.

Michael: Yes and when planning new metro lines we must consider several factors if we want to compete effectively with cars. Speed and regularity of trains must perform as that of cars. High frequency must offset the advantage of the immediate availability of a car.

David: But a fast journey time will not be sufficient to entice people out of their automobiles. People must get the feeling of being somewhere they want to be. Our biggest challenge is that we do not go everywhere our passengers want to go.

Michael: This is why it is vital to build a network in the cities, where most journeys are by car, and to show people what the metro is like, and how easy it is to use. Environmental concerns over noise and air pollution will vanish completely and may provide a cost-effective alternative and a real solution for city authorities.

David: Right, but building the metro through a busy city is a challenge too, because of the need to minimize disruption to road traffic. The top-down construction of underground station boxes and TBMs operating might be other challenges.

Michael: To build an excellent metro means to look for the most efficient solutions, from a technological point of view, and mastery of state-of-the-art technology.

David: Of course, but rail does not come cheap, and it will remain too expensive for many cities even if such cities are crying out for rail transit. However, I want to point out that some of the world’s most successful metros appeared at times when the cities such as Mexico City and Seoul were not very wealthy.

Michael: Yes, investment in rail is always heavy, but there is also considerable interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly public transport in modern cities.

Remember the meaning of the following words while practicing this unit

1. Bilevel car	двухэтажный вагон
2. Car capacity	вместимость вагона
3. Commuter rail network	железнодорожное пригородное сообщение
4. Crisscrossing lines	переменно скрещивающиеся пути
5. Current collection device	токосъемное устройство
6. Emergency exit	аварийный выход
7. Enabled alarm	тревожная сигнализация
8. Grade-crossing lines	линии, пересекающиеся на одном уровне
9. Grade separated lines	линии, обособленные от городского движения
10. Loop line	кольцевая линия
11. Overhead wire	контактный провод
12. Passenger access	вход для пассажиров
13. Ramp access	пандус
14. Rapid transit	скоростной общественный транспорт
15. Switch	стрелка
16. Travel document	проездной билет