Underground railways

Part 1

Depending on where in the world it is located, an underground electric-railway system may be called a subway, underground railway, tube, or metro. The underground railway is the quickest, safest, most reliable and comfortable means of city transport. Metro can solve the problems of carrying a great number of passengers within urban and suburban areas as well as the problems of traffic jams, air contamination and noise.

Subways are usually built under city streets, but in order to take shortcuts they often must pass under rivers. From the technical point of view the underground railway system is very expensive and complicated constructional work. This system includes subsurface lines, ground based lines and elevated lines. Ground based lines are usually used at the terminations of the underground railways. Outside the immediate downtown area, the subway lines usually emerge above ground too, resembling conventional railways or elevated transit lines. Besides, the underground and surface structures involve stations, tunnels, escalators, underpasses, ventilation and sanitary engineering as well as a power supply system.

The permanent way of underground railways differs from the normal railway track. The sleepers are only 0.9m long. They are shorter than those of the railroad track which are 2.7m long. The sleepers of the normal track are laid upon ballast made of broken stone or other materials. The crossties of the underground railway are laid directly on concrete base. It is more expensive but keeps air free from dust. If the ballast were made of slag, gravel, sand or even broken stone, the train would be followed by the dust clouds.

Modern Metro trains are powered by electricity. The current is obtained from the third rail. This contact rail is laid along the whole track and transmits the direct current of 825 volts to the train electromotor through the pantograph.

The Underground carrying capacity depends on the number of coaches which ranges from 2 to 8 per train and the frequency of train running which ranges from 80 seconds to 10 minutes.

Part 2

Nowadays there are underground railways in 80 cities all over the world. The construction of the first subway system, called the Metropolitan Railway, began in London in 1860. It was built by the so-called cut-and-cover method – that is, trenches were dug along the streets, reinforced with brick sides, and roofed with girders or a brick arch. The roadway on top was then restored. The Metropolitan line was opened on January 10, 1863. It used steam locomotives, not electric power.

In 1866 excavation began for a second subway line of the London Underground. It was built using a device called a tunneling shield that allowed a tunnel to be driven under the Thames River without the danger of flooding. The tunnels were driven deep enough to avoid disturbing public-utility works, or the foundations of buildings, and there was no disruption of street traffic. The Tube—the first electric underground railway—began operation in 1890.

In the same decade, many other cities followed London's lead. In Budapest an electric subway was opened in 1896 that used single cars with trolley poles. It was the first subway on the European continent. Because the tunnels were flat-roofed instead of arched, the original trenches were shallower than those of earlier lines. As a result, the subway construction was far less costly.

In Paris, construction of the Métro (Chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris) was begun in 1898, and the first 6 1/4 miles (10 kilometers) were opened in 1900. Its rapid construction was made possible largely by improved cut-and-cover methods. Vertical shafts were sunk at intervals along the planned route, and from these shafts side trenches were dug. Masonry foundations to support wooden shuttering were then placed immediately under the road surfaces. Construction of the roof arch then proceeded with little disturbance to street traffic. This method is still used in Paris.

In the United States the first practical subway line was constructed in Boston between 1895 and 1897. On October 27, 1904, New York City opened the first section of what was to become the largest subway system in the world. Other cities with notable subway systems include Philadelphia and Chicago in the United States; Toronto and Montreal in Canada; Mexico City, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Munich and Frankfurt am Main in Germany; Milan, Italy; Cairo, Egypt; and Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya in Japan. The shortest metro line was constructed in Turkey. Its length is only 600 m but Istanbul is very proud of the metropolitan means of transport.

A number of major modern cities have a combination of subway and elevated railways. In addition, some have automatic trains that are operated by remote control. Lines that use automated trains include a section of the London subway system, the Victoria Line; BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in the San Francisco Bay area; and the Washington, D.C., Metro. Greater attention is also paid to the aesthetics, comfort, safety, and convenience of subways, particularly those in Moscow and Rome.

Ex.23. Answer the following questions.

1) What is the quickest means of city’s transport? 2) Why is it necessary to construct Underground railways in large cities? 3) Why is the construction of underground railway system a very expensive and complicated engineering process? 4) What is the difference between the permanent way of underground railroads and ground-based railway tracks? 5) Why is there no ballast on the underground railways? 6) Are Metro trains powered by steam or electricity? 7) Where is the current obtained from? 8) What does the Underground carrying capacity depend on? 9) How many cities of the world have already built the Underground railways? 10) Where was the first underground railway line laid down? 11) What city has the largest subway system in the world? 12) What is the length of the metro line in Istanbul?

Ex.24. Match the beginnings of the sentences with their endings.

1) In the USA the first subway line was a) the Metropolitan railway.

constructed…

2) The second underground line in London… b) on the Victoria line of the London

passed… Underground.

3) The shortest Metro line in the world c) clean and attractive stations.

was built…

4) Electric single cars with trolley poles d) the largest subway system in the world.

were used…

5) In Paris the construction of the first e) in the Budapest Subway.

Metro line lasted…

6) The first underground system in the world f) in Boston between 1895 and 1897.

was called…

7) The Moscow and Rome Metros are justly g) in Istanbul.

famous for…

8) New York has… h) under the Thames River.

9) Automated trains that are operated by i) two years.

remote control are used…

10) Constructing tunnels under the rivers, j) a device called a tunneling shield that

builders use… protects a tunnel against flooding.

Ex.25. Here are the answers. Write the questions.

1) Subsurface lines, ground based lines and elevated lines. 2) Under city streets or under rivers. 3) Only 0.9m long. 4) Directly on concrete base. 5) From the third rail. 6) In 80 cities all over the world. 7) The cut-and cover method. 8) On January 10, 1863. 9) In Budapest. 10) In Moscow and Rome.

TEXT B

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