Unit 2. Houston opens second light rail line

Vocabulary

revenue services - налоговая служба

light rail - легкорельсовый транспорт (ЛРТ)

a ride - поездка, проезд на к-л транспорте

an official inauguration - официальное открытие

a downtown - центр города

an end-on - конечный радиус ветки метрополитена

an interchange - пересадочный узел

a schedule – расписание, график

to diverge - расходиться, отклоняться

an underpass - подземный переход

Metro Chairman - руководитель метрополитена

to purchase - закупать

a cancellation - расторжение

low-floor cars - низкопольные вагоны

USA: Revenue services have started running on Houston Metro’s 8.5 km North Line light rail route following an official inauguration on December 21 and a day of free rides.

Running north from UH Downtown in the city centre through Moody Park and Lindale to the Northline Transit Center, the line forms an end-on extension to the existing 12 km Main Street Red Line, which opened in 2004 and is currently carrying around 40 000 passengers per day. The extension adds eight new stops, including two bus-rail interchanges at Burnett and Northline.

Opened several months ahead of schedule, the North Line is one of three routes being built under a $900m Full Funding Grant Agreement signed with the Department of Transportation in November 2011, which will almost treble the size of the network to 33.8 km. The East End Line will link Theater District with Magnolia Park Transit Center, serving nine stops including an interchange with the Red Line at Main Street Square. The Southeast Line will diverge from the East End Line at EADO/Stadium and run to University Oaks and Palm Center, adding a further six stations.

These two lines are both expected to open during 2014, although the construction of an underpass below the Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad at Harrison & 66th Streets means the final 2 km of the East End Line may not be ready until the end of 2015.

During the North Line opening ceremony, Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia, suggested that the city was now at a ‘wonderful turning point. Now that there are transit choices and people get accustomed to using light rail, I think they are going to see how easy it is, how efficient and reliable it is’, he explained.

To operate the extended Red Line, Metro has purchased a further 19 Siemens Avanto S70 LRVs, similar to the 18 supplied for the initial route. Following the cancellation of an earlier contract under Buy America rules, the city has also ordered 39 CAF low-floor cars to operate the East End and Southeast lines, which will be designated as the Green and Purple lines respectively.

Exercises:

1) Find the English equivalents in the text:

1) государственная налоговая служба

2) северная ветка легкорельсового транспорта

3) бесплатный проезд

4) официальное открытие

5) удлинение конечного радиуса ветки метрополитена

6) 8 новых станций

7) с опережением графика

8) строительство подземного перехода

9) эффективный и надежный

10) расторжение ранее заключенного контракта

2) Read the text again and say if these statements true (T) or false (F):

1) Passengers don`t have to pay on Houston Metro’s North Line on an official inauguration day.

2) The North Line runs south from the suburbs to the city center.

3) The North Line links Theater District with Magnolia Park Transit Center, serving nine stops including an interchange with the Red Line.

4) The East End Line and the Southeast Line are both expected to open during 2014.

5) People will find it complicated and dangerous to use light rail.

3) Fill in the gaps with the proper preposition using the text:

1) An official inauguration of the North Line light rail route will be held _____ December 21.

2) The Line runs __________ Moody Park and Lindale to the Northline Transit Center.

3) It is currently carrying _________ 40 000 passengers per day.

4) Full Funding Grant Agreement was signed with the Department of Transportation ____ November 2011.

5) The construction of three routes will almost treble the size of the network ____ 33.8 km.

6) The East End Line may not be ready _______ the end of 2015.

7) Metro has purchased a further 19 Siemens Avanto S70 LRVs, similar _____ the 18 supplied for the initial route.

4) Fill in: will or be going to

1) I hope you ________ enjoy your visit.

2) Watch out! You _________ crash into the fence!

3) What are his summer plans? - He __________ sail around the Greek islands.

4) Don`t touch the cooker. You ______ burn yourself.

5) She ______ be upset if he forgets her birthday.

6) Now that the Smiths have time, they ________ take up mountaineering.

7) Scientists predict that global temperatures ________ increase.

8) Mark and Helen _______ get married in September.

9) Have you decided what to get George for his anniversary? - Yes. I ________ buy him a motorbike.

10) I`m thirsty. I _______ make myself fresh orange juice.

Discussion Corner.

1) The Moscow Underground or Metro, the London Underground or the Tube, New York City Subway and others

2) Metro and Art

3) The Underground: pros and cons

4) Innovations on the Underground

5) Light rail transport

Reference:

www.railwaygazette.com

www.wikipedia.com
The newspaper "Gudok" 16 July 2012

Unit 3.Railway stations

Vocabulary

a railway station/a rail terminal - вокзал

freight - груз, грузоперевозки

elevated - надземный, эстакадный

the terminus - терминал, конечная станция

rapid transit systems - скоростные системы перевозок

a pet project - детище

to resemble - напоминать

a time zone - часовой пояс

a transport knot - транспортный узел

ticket sales offices - билетные кассы

left-luggage - камера хранения

lost-and-found - бюро находок

luggage carts - тележки для багажа

rolling stock - подвижной состав

repair jobs - ремонтные работы

A railway station is a railway facility where trains regularly stop to load or unload passengers and freight. It generally consists of a platform next to the track and a station building providing related services. Stations may be at ground level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other transport modes such as buses, trams or other rapid transit systems. The world's oldest station built for steam locomotives which is still in use is Broad Green railway station in Liverpool, England, built in 1830.

The longest railway routes across Russia start at Komsomolskaya Square in Moscow, at the three railway stations — Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky.

Leningradsky Rail Terminal is the oldest of Moscow’s principal railway stations. The station was constructed between 1844 and 1851, designed by Konstantin Thon as the terminus of the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway, a pet project of Emperor Nicholas I. Regular connection was opened in 1851. From here trains go to Saint-Petersburg, Murmansk, Helsinki (Finland), Borovichi, Novgorod, Pskov, Tallinn, and Tver. Traveling by train from Leningradsky station is really the most convenient way to get to St. Petersburg. It takes about 5,5 to 9,5 hours to get there depending on the train class.

From Kazanskiy Rail Terminal which is considered to be the largest in Europe, trains depart to many southern and eastern directions: Kazan, Adler, Samara, Ufa, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, and many other cities of Russian Povolzhye, Ural, Siberia, and the Middle East. Construction оf the modern building according to the design оf an architect, Alexey Shchusev started іn 1913 аnd ended іn 1940. The building resembles the Söyembikä Tower іn Kazan.

Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal, built nearby Leningradsky station in 1862, is a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway – the longest railway in the world. Connecting Moscow and Vladivostok, it is around 9,300 kilometers (5,800 miles) long and spans 8 time zones. This terminal is a transport knot, connecting Moscow with North regions, Ural, Siberia, the Far East, China, Mongolia and North Korea. Because of diversity of routes Yaroslavsky station is even more crowded and chaotic than other railway stations and considered to be one of the busiest in Russia.

As a rule, stations usually have staffed ticket sales offices, automated ticket machines, or both, although on some lines tickets are sold on board the trains. Many stations include shops, fast food or restaurant facilities. Other station facilities may include: left-luggage, lost-and-found, departures and arrival boards, luggage carts, waiting rooms, taxi ranks and bus bays. The larger stations are, the greater range of facilities they have.

As well as providing services for passengers and loading facilities for goods, stations can sometimes have locomotive and rolling stock depots (usually with facilities for storing and refuelling rolling stock and carrying out minor repair jobs).

Read the text again and answer the questions:

1. What sort of a railway facility is a railway station?

2. Where is the oldest station in the world located?

3. Where do the longest railway routes across Russia start?

4. When was Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal built?

5. Stations provide only services for passengers, don`t they?

Exercises:

1) Find the English equivalents in the text:

1) сооружение, помещение

2) пересекающийся

3) виды транспорта

4) считать, рассматривать

5) отправляться, уезжать

6) охватывать 8 часовых поясов

7) разнообразие

8) табло прибытия и отправления поездов

9) стоянка такси

10) автобусный парк, стоянка автобусов

2) Choose the best variant -ing or infinitive:

1) My friends really enjoy listening/to listen to the MP3s that I have given them.

2) How did she learn speaking/to speak Chinese so well?

3) David finally managed finding/ to find his passport before the train departure.

4) They are looking forward to visiting/ visit New Zealand.

5) There`s no answer at the office. Let`s try calling/to call Lucy`s mobile.

6) Sam has just taken up cycling/to cycle to work.

7) Stop pretending being/to be asleep! Get up or you will be late!

3) Tag questions. Form the proper tag for each question:

1) I am completely crazy about skateboarding, ___________?

2) Tony`s dad used to be quite fit, __________?

3) That sounds like a joke, __________?

4) There aren`t any sports centers nearby, __________?

5) They haven`t given the baby the name yet, ________?

6) This year more than a million tourists will visit our region, __________?

7) It`s going to rain, ________?

8) People shouldn’t drop the litter in the street, ________?

Discussion Corner.

1) Rome wasn`t built in a day.

2) East or West, home is best.

3) A tree is known by its fruit.

4) Jack of all trades is master of none.

5) Haste makes waste.

References: