Unit 9 travelling by train, car and coach

LEAD-IN

1 Look at this list of words to do with rail travel. Check that you know what they mean.

Buffet, carriages, compartment, corridor, couchette, engine, platform, refreshments, restaurant car, sleeper, station, track, coach, luggage office, waiting room, lost property office, through train, single (return) ticket, sleeper, booking office, inquiry office (information bureau), snack bar.

4 You are going to read someone's account of a train journey in India. What do you think it was like? Think about the stations, the facilities on the train, the scenery, and the other passengers. Read the account to see if you were right. Complete the gaps with words from the list

Buffet, carriages, compartment, corridor, couchette, engine, platform, refreshments, restaurant car, sleeper, station, track

I remember the journey so clearly. The 1_____________ in Delhi was hot and crowded with thousands of people: taxi and rickshaw drivers, boys selling strange items of food, men selling carpets, and a million other things. The heat and the choking steam made us thirsty and hungry, so we found a sort of 2___________ and went inside for some 3 ____________. After a while, we returned to the heaving masses and stood on the 4 ____________ as the train pulled in. There was almost a fight to get on, but we managed to climb aboard one of the 5 ____________, fight our way down the narrow 6 ___________, and find a 7 __________ which wasn't too crowded. The journey was hot but exciting, with delicious smells from the open fires in the kitchens next to the 8 __________ and fantastic scenery passing by as the 9 _________ pulled us across the plains of India. We leaned out of the windows in search of fresher air. The 10 ___________ stretched before us − two metal lines running into an endless distance. That evening we rested at Agra under the shadow of the Taj Mahal before boarding a 11 ____________ for a night journey further south. We slept in a 12 __________, the seats converting into narrow beds, and chatted to the early hours, our words full of the romance and excitement of our Indian adventure.

Think about a train journey you have been on. In pairs, describe your journeys to each other.

5 Imagine you are going on a holiday travelling across Canada by train. You want to enjoy the scenery and be comfortable. In pairs, discuss what facilities you would want on the train and along the journey in general.

6 Read the article “via Rail. Canada” and make a list of all facilities mentioned. Read the text again and say whether the following statements are true or false.

1. There has been a railway across Canada for a long time.

2. Tea and coffee are free.

3. The best place to see the scenery is in the Mural Lounge.

4. The price includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

5. The internal design of the trains is in a modern style.

6. All 'roomettes' have their own washing facilities.

7. The beds in the 'section' are above each other.

8. The 'bedrooms' have private facilities.

9. All seats in coach class have foot rests.

10. Only first class passengers get meals served at their seats.

11. Young people under 24 receive a 10% discount on some journeys.

12. Children under 2 travel free.

An unhurried journey through unspoilt terrain or a fast, frequent service to cross the country - since the pioneer days, when the iron road first linked the eastern seaboard to the Canadian Pacific, the ideal way to see this great dominion has always been VIA Rail. Perfected now in VIA Rail, everything from a short journey to a transcontinental adventure is enjoyed in style, aboard transport that blends the comfort and technology of today's world with the romance and service of the past.

No long miles of driving behind you or parking problems ahead, just a leisurely journey on a sleek silver train, from the centre of one city to the heart of the next.

The Canadian

Travel across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver and enjoy the superlative Silver and Blue class service. Aboard the country's premier train you have exclusive access to three different salons, all serving complimentary tea and coffee throughout the day. There is the snug Bullet Lounge, the atmospheric Mural Lounge, and the Observation Dome, with its panoramic wrap-around windows. In addition, all meals are included. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner − however, this does depend upon what time you join and depart from the train.) Silver and Blue class dining is a model of elegance and refinement: china, silverware, flowers, and linen adorn the dining car tables, which give you ample space: the menu matches the wine list in excellence and the service is friendly and efficient.

Corridor Service

On the shorter routes across central Canada VIA Rail's Corridor Service offers a convenient way to cross such a vast country.

Your accommodation

VIA Rail has refurbished some of its classic trains in all the rich fabrics, subtle colours, and polished wood of the art-deco era. Your choice of route and cabin accommodation is outlined below.

sleeping cars: you have a choice of three levels of comfort. Roomette: ideal for one person, the little cabin has a comfy seat and turns into snug sleeping quarters at night (private facilities on western routes).

section: semi-private with wide couch-style seats facing each other; these convert to bunk beds, with heavy curtains for privacy at night. Bedroom: ideal for two adults, by day a private living room with two armchairs and a picture window, by night this converts to lower and upper berths. The cabins have a sink and WC.

coach class: there is plenty of space to move around, comfortable reclining seats, and chair-side drinks and snacks service. On longer routes, Coach service seats are enhanced by foot rests and there's a cafe and glass-domed observation car.

VIA 1: VIA Rail's first class service adds to the coach car comfort with exclusive lounges at Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, pre- boarding privileges, distinctive decor, a cellular phone onboard, delicious meals served at your seat, complimentary drinks, and a choice of wine and liqueurs with your meal.

Discounted fares

VIA Rail offers discounted fares for the economy conscious. Senior (60 plus) and youth (up to 24 years) receive a 10% discount across the VIA network. Applicable at anytime, on all VIA services. This can be combined with seasonal fares, giving a possible total 50% discount − to receive seasonal discounts, advance purchase may be necessary. Children aged 2-11 years are eligible for a 50% discount on Coach class, and FREE travel is available for each child under two years accompanied by one adult. (A second infant with just one adult pays 50% of Coach class fare.)

7 Find in the text as many positive adjectives as possible (for example unhurried and unspoilt in the first line). You should be able to find at least twenty. Which adjectives are used to describe the following things?

• the journey

• the scenery

• the service

• the internal décor and carriages

8 Plan a similar rail holiday for a part of your country or an area you know well. Decide on: the route, sights and scenery, the facilities on the train, meals and accommodation, different classes of passengers, discounts. Write out your plan in the form of a short article.

In pairs, take turns to role-play the conversation between a travel agent (selling the trip you planned above) and a customer (asking about the holiday - route, itinerary, and facilities).

9 Match Ukrainian and English equivalents. Use 10 words to build the sentences of your own

bonnet boot traffic lights tyre windscreen highway intersection sidewalk underpass convertible truck hydrofoil ferry vehicle

судно на підводних крилах тротуар підземний перехід автомобіль з відкидним верхом капот багажник вітрове скло перехрестя вантажівка пором транспортний засіб світлофор шина шосе