Travelling by train in Britain (part II)

One of the first things a foreigner notices about British rail­ways is the platforms. They are higher than in most parts of the world. The platform is almost on a level with the floor of the carriages. You do not, therefore, have to climb up into a rail­way carriage in Britain. This makes it a little easier to get in and out of the carriage with your luggage.

The trains that go to and from London are very crowded at the times when people are travelling to work each day. There are cheap tickets after a certain time of the day, usually about 9.30 when everyone has gone to work. These are called cheap day re­turn tickets. It is often nearly 50 % (fifty per cent) cheaper to travel to London after 9.30 than before this time.

Many people in Britain live a long way from their work. They often travel by train from the suburbs into the town centre to work. These people are called commuters. They travel regular­ly a long distance between home and work. Some people travel more than 200 miles every day and spend up to two hours go­ing to work. On some trains there are study clubs which offer language lessons to commuters on their way to and from work.

On many fast trains to London there is a dining-car in which you can buy lunch, dinner or coffee. On others there is a buffet at which it is possible to buy snacks and drinks. Sometimes a waiter from the dining-car brings round cups of coffee to the passengers.

There are only two classes in Britain — first and second. A first-class ticket costs 50 % more than a second-class ticket. On long journeys there is a ticket inspector, who visits every pas­senger to see if he has the right ticket and is not travelling in the wrong class.

In England train passengers seldom converse with their fel­low-travellers even on a long journey — this is more a national custom than a matter of etiquette.

When the passenger reaches the end of his journey and leaves the train, he has to give his ticket to the ticket collector at the exit before he can leave the station. If he has luggage and wants someone to carry it for him to a waiting car or taxi, he must ask a porter. The porter does not make a charge for this service, but he expects a tip.