Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Robin Basselin.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“Monday morning in Tokyo, Japan. It is eight o’clock in the morning. The Shinkansen express train is leaving for Osaka. It takes passengers out into the country. It makes the 560 kilometre trip in just two and half hours. Every day many passengers across the world travel like this. Today, millions of people use high-speed trains. Soon, millions more will use them too. More and more countries are turning to high-speed trains. They are a way to meet the growing transportation needs of the 21st century.”
Voice 1
These words begin a short film about high-speed trains from the California state government. These are trains that travel much faster than normal trains. Some of them move at over 400 kilometres an hour! Today’s Spotlight is on high-speed trains.
Shinkansen in Japan;
Voice 2
Many people think that high-speed trains are the transportation of the future. There are double the high-speed railways that there were even a few years ago. Japan, Germany, France, Spain and China have the most high-speed railways. But there are plans for expanding the railways in the United States, Italy and Russia. Governments are starting new high-speed railway systems in Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Voice 1
Japan developed the first large system of high-speed trains in 1964. This system of trains is called the “Shinkansen.” In English this word means “new main line.”
Voice 2
Shinkansen trains are also called bullet trains. The trains are rounded like a bullet from a gun. Their sides are very smooth. Their front end is often pointed – as if they have a nose! This helps the trains move along their lines, or tracks, with great speed. The Shinkansen trains travel at over 200 kilometres per hour.
Voice 1
Many people may be frightened to ride on such a fast train. But high-speed trains are fun to ride! A man who lives in the city of Osaka describes it on the website Hubpages:
Voice 4
“Once you are on the train you can sit back and rest. While riding, train workers will bring drinks, snacks and meals. You can purchase these. The only other thing you should do is look out of the window. You could see the beautiful, snow covered Mount Fuji out of your window as you pass by.”
Voice 2
There are two main kinds of high-speed trains. The first kind of high-speed train is a magnetic levitation or mag-lev. This kind of train does not have a fuel engine. It uses electricity and magnetic power to move along at high speeds. This kind of train is easy to identify. It does not ride on the track like other kinds of trains. It floats, or levitates, a few centimetres above the track.
Voice 1
The only maglev train that carries passengers is in Shanghai, China. The Shanghai mag-lev train is the fastest passenger train in the world. It goes up to 430 kilometres per hour! It began service in 2004. It runs from the airport into the city of Shanghai. This trip is about 30 kilometres long. But it only takes the mag-lev train eight minutes!
Voice 2
The other main kind of high-speed train is not as fast as the mag-lev train. But it is more common. These high-speed trains use the same tracks that traditional trains use. But they are designed to go much faster. The Shinkansen in Japan is this kind of train. The TGV train is also this kind of train. The TGV opened in 1981. It is a popular high-speed train that is based in France. It can go up to 320 kilometers per hour.
Voice 1
But the Shinkansen, TGV and mag-lev in Shanghai are all similar in one way. They are all owned by the government. In Italy, the new high-speed rail line, NTV, is private. Individuals and companies own it, instead of the government. The leading businessman of NTV is Luca di Montezemolo. He is also the chairman of the famous car company Ferrari. Di Montezemolo hopes that the train will be good for the Italian economy and for travellers.
Voice 2
The new NTV trains in Italy are red, smooth and shiny. They look a bit like Ferrari sports cars! But they are better for the environment than driving cars. Many people can travel in them at one time. This saves space and fuel. Trains also create less air pollution than cars. And a railway track takes up much less space than a large road for cars.
Voice 1
High-speed rail also has advantages over travelling by airplane. Airports must usually be away from big cities. This leaves enough room for the airplane to land. Trains do not need as much space. This is how the mag-lev train can reach into the city of Shanghai. It is faster and easier for passengers in the city to get to a train station than an airport.
Voice 2
And, of course, high-speed rail is fast! High-speed rail travel is faster than travelling by car or bus. But it can also be just as fast as travelling by airplane. Before riding on an airplane, passengers spend a lot of time waiting. Airplane travel also requires passengers to go through more security.
Voice 1
Finally, travelling by train can be safer than travelling in a car or by airplane. In 50 years, the Shinkansen in Japan has never had an accident!
Voice 2
Safety, environment and time are all reasons why high-speed trains are popular. Many people think that high-speed rail may soon be the most important transportation. Today’s program ends with news from the British Telegraph newspaper about one exciting new international project:
Voice 5
“China is talking about building a high-speed railway to India and Europe. It would take ten years or more to complete this international high-speed railway. Passengers could get on a train in London and step off in Beijing in just two days. This is over 8,000 kilometres away. This railway would bring together the whole of Central, East and Southeast Asia.”
Voice 1
The writer and producer of this program was Rena Dam. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘High-Speed Trains’.
Voice 2
You can leave your comments on our website. Or you can email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also find us on Facebook – just search for spotlightradio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
Question:
Is there a high-speed train where you live? How do you travel in your city or country?
In my country, we just have the traditional trains and I have never use them. So, I hope we will have high speed trains in the short time.
I am 32, unfortunately, until this age I did not board the train because of the destruction of wars, it does not exist in our country
In my country the train speed 45 km/h
I am from Vietnam, my country have traditional trains from Hanoi to HCM city, it’s about 1700km and that is the longest railway in Vietnam, I have never gon by train because it very noisy and uncomfortable. I hope one day we have high speed trains like that.
I think the high speed trains are not developed in Vietnam. Because vn is developing that
I am from Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh city. There is no high-speed tain in my city now, but the goverment is starting new high-speed rileway. I’m excited to ride this high speed train.
I’m travel in my country by the car. I never got on trian or airplane in my life, I’m just traveling with my car
Hi
No , there is no any tyoe of trians in all country where i live , even it has not a traditional train .
I am spending alot of time to go to 30 km away from where i live .
I wish in one day i live in a country has trains to safe my time .
I really tired from our transportation system .
I dissatisfied obout oll of this.
In Italy Frecciarossa 1000 is the most modern train in the Trenitalia fleet. Comfortable, safe and ecological, it is built to travel on all the AV networks in Europe. It can reach the maximum speed of 400Km / h
I hate fast train.
Over 600 kph, the fastests train word record – that what I found. I would like to ride inside this kind of train, it must be cooll…
In my country we don’t have a high- speed railway because my is very small only 17870 km space.
In my city we don’t have a high speed train, but the government starting now to support this way of transportation. I’m so excited to traveling by one !.
There is no high-speed train in my country. If you want to see everything through the window panes, you can take the bus to the city campus. You can also travel around the city on a motorbike. Even in my own country, many people take trans-provincial motorcycle tours. The majority of them enjoy thesense of discovery and adventure. That will be an incredible trip with your friends. I used to have similar experiences with my friends. They are superior to dining in a fine restaurant or visiting a famous museum. And I believe that a high speed train will never provide the same sense of adventure and excitement. A high-speed train is not suitable for travel; it is more suitable for going to work when you need to save time, in my opinion. However, I believe that in the future, my country will also have high speed trains, and I would like to experience the sensation of sitting on a high-speed train. That would most likely be fantastic as well.
No, I travel by vehicles or planes
I’m My country with have a normal train and the goverment is building other one
I travel by a bus por car and in the city sometime on the train
I am from Kurdistan, and there are not trains here it is just bus and taxi. I hope the goverment to start new high-speed rileway.
I am from Kurdistan, and there are not trains here there are just bus and taxi. I hope the goverment to start new high-speed rileway.
Hi i’m from kurdistan too
In my country we don’t have high speed train we use cars or plane to travel between cities.
There isn’t any high-speed train in my country . I travel by bus or by micro bus called kia from one zone to anthor . Thanks for hearing
I’m from jordan, we don’t have any kind of high speed trains, we hope to have it in the future
No
I travel by car and blean
Hi there . There isn’t a high speed train in Argentina. But I should like so so much. I traveling in my car . Also I will love it that building a high speed train in my city . It’s so fast and care the environment.
No
I’m from Libya, we not have train never in my country.. I hops building hight speed train in day.
1-yes we have one high-speed train i my city .
2- usually we traveling by airplan
No we haven’t – we travel on the car
Unfourtinnatly, we do not have high speed trains in my country. We use airplanes and buses for travel. Travelling by trains generally is not familiar Where I come from. I hope to see this kind of transportation in the futture
In my country we don’t have train , I travel by vehicles
No there isn’t . I traveled by car , bus and airplane
In my country Egypt there is no high-speed train although the convential trains are there since long time that I think it is almost 70 years ago . but I think that govenment started thinking for high-speed trains years ago .
For long distances most of people are travelling with trains which are comfortable and safer compared with cars and some others with Bus . For short distance most of people are travelling with cars or buses also and there is under ground metro network in Cairo city .
In my city one high-speed train. I travel by plane.
I am from in saudi arabia in riyadh
I travel by car in riyadh
We don,t high speed in my country
I am from EGYPT (the best place in the universe), my country does not have a high-speed train system. Usually, l go to public places by the cars, busses, and metro system.
In ny country l don’t think to do this kind of train because the economy is ao low
Hopefully In future
In my cantry don’t have high speed trains
Hello I am haneen from Saudi Aarabi , I live in jeddah
we have a high-speed in my sity but I did’t trind it yet
I traveling in my car ..
No, we have the traditional ones only.
Always I used the car for traveling, even if it was far.
I hope to have one as soon as possible.
Hi,
I am from Saudi Arabia, I am livening in Madinah and we have trained in my contrey,
I travel a lot of time by train, it was my favorite method of travel because it is more comfortable and the best thing when you travel by train it is on time so you save your time and you’re many.
in my country we have a traditional train, i think we have and use the old kind, i used to to road it when I go to my university, i hope we have a high-speed train soon in my country Egypt
I think there’s no high speed train at my country but actually I’m not sure
There’s normal train between jeddah and makkah and also between other cities
For me , I’m travel by a plane or a car
In fact I want to try the train in some day )
Hi there,
I’m from Saudi Arabia, Makkah.My government has started to work more in public transportation such as buses and trains. There is a high speed train connecting between Makkah , Jeddah and Al-Medina. I have never ride a train in my life and I hope that I can ride a train soon.
i liv in Saudi Arabia specifically in city makka exist train name haemain travael from makka to me medina within half an hour this faster in my country and excited very i am having an experience . i am just traveling with my car
No, we don’t have such these trains in our country there are number of them are old and dont work properly. The government does not support Such projects.
In There is high speed train only for the main places.
I travel by the car or the airplane.
Currently the isn’t any high speed train but the country decide to make a high speed train to connect with other arabic Peninsula country’s and today we use the car or the bus to travel from city to another
Yea we have a hige-speed train in Saudi Arabia .
Sometimes on hige-speed train or plane or car.
yes ,there’s and it’s a new one , it bulled in November 2013 .It takes from the capital city to my city in about 40 minutes,it travels
by 320 per hour.
there are one between 4 city , i travel 3 time by that train
No, i traveling by the car
Yes , in my country Saudi Arabia we have a network of high speed trains that connect some cities together, actually no I’m travelling with my car .
No ,there are not any train in my country ,we are travelling in a car or kia or a taxi ,
Sure,i am from iraq
yes there are in saudi arab. actually i am never travel to train but i hole to try in the future.
Im from Saudi arabia in Jeddah city we have a high speed train it’s connecting between three cities Jeddah and Madina and makkah
I have never ride it because i usually travel by plane or a car
they don’t have train in our city ,, i’m go to my work using my car
No, I can a travel by the car or plane
There’s not a high-speed train in my country . I travel by bus or taxi.
I live in jordan , and we dont have high-speed train in my country but it is in established yet
we are travel by car and bass in my country
Yes, there is an express train in my country called the Spanish, and I travel from my city to any other city by the Spanish train
we don’t have train passenger in Mexico, the PRI, sold all of them.
I live in Jordan and we don’t have any trains in my country. All of the time we travel in airplane to another country .May be sometimes travel by car but not too much . The first time i ride the train in Europe when i go from Amsterdam to köln in Germany . It was very exciting experience.
Of course there is in the KSA the first train linking the cities of makkah and jeddah madinah has been completed within an hour and a half at a distance of (405.5) KM other high-speed railways are being built in the cities of the kingdom
yes we have high speed train
8 mont ago i went to maddinah in saudi arabia by train it was very comfortable and speed
l live in Amman
l travel to the city by a car
How can to injoyed to group
In my country, we use the traditional trains , I hope we will have high speed trains like that .
Thanks
We don’t have a high speed train in my country , but we have a under ground train that I used it sometimes
In my country Morocco we have a train fast he’s name the between casa Blanca and tanger
thats great article.i like to read article like that.all the best.
From Yemen Sanaa travel by car
no we do not have , by car or airplain
Yes, In Riyadh city ksa we have train
In country we used airplane
no is not we have the pla pla pla
In my country there is not any train and we are travel by airplane
No,im travelling on air plane
In my country there is no high speed train but in future will exist
I wish I could go to work by high-speed train every day. High-speed trains is not only
safety, environment ,fastly but also avoiding traffic jam on the street. In 2016 when having traveled to Singapore,I really like to move somewhere with the high-speed train.I would like to take my children go there for travel in the future.
In my country in Sudan we do not have high-speed train but in my permanent resident city in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia yes they have new high-speed train.
I am traveling in the city by using my own car.
In my country, we use the traditional trains , I hope we will have high speed trains like that .
Thanks
Thank you
I live in Saudi Arabia ‘KSA’ and the high-speed train is totally new I have not trying it yet , there are many internal airports so we can travel from one to another country
Yah,we have a high-speed train in riadh
We travel by train I like that
I live in Saudi Arabia
I travel in my city by the car or driver
Unfortunately, there’s no a high speed train in my country. I’m really interested in traveling by train , l ike to ride it once . We just can travel by a car so it’s difficult and dangerous. It’s not safe way for traveling, otherwise many accidents occurs daily and many citizens were dead and injured every day. It’s hopeless and government don’t have plans to create other transportations
There is nt a high speed train in my country, We are traveling by cars and traditional trains
No,But we can travel by toktok.
i hope in my country we have high speed train because is so useful
I live in saudi arabia, we travel by car because the oil
I live in Gaza , l am so sad because in my country there is no train
No, we don’t have.
I travel by car
We don’t have high-speed train. We travel by bus
In my country we only use cars and airplanes as a transportation because my country doesn’t have high potential
yes I have a high- speed train , I leave in Saudi Arabia , i cat travel between jeddah and Makkah and madenah by train !! it is funny and comfortable I like that so much ..
Realy Iam so intersted by listening, we have a train in my country but i travel by bus only.
No,until now we use the buss and car when we travell