1. Skills
  2. Listening
  3. A2 listening
  4. Trains and travel

Trains and travel

Listen to five different conversations at a train station and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise before you listen. Then do the other exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Do this exercise before you listen.

Image
Remote audio URL

Transcript

A.
Passenger: Excuse me? Which platform does the train to Cambridge leave from?
Train station attendant: The 10:15 train or the 10:40?
Passenger: The 10:15.
Train station attendant: The 10:15 train leaves from platform 3.
Passenger: Thanks.
 
B.
Passenger: Hi. Could I have a ticket for the next train to Manchester, please?
Train ticket vendor: Single or return?
Passenger: Errr, single please.
Train ticket vendor: The next train is at 12:30pm, leaving from platform 2.
Passenger: And how much is it?
Train ticket vendor: £13:50
 
C.
Ticket inspector: Tickets, please. Can I see your ticket, please?
Passenger: Yes, here you are.
Ticket inspector: This ticket is for Oxford.
Passenger: Yes, that’s right.
Ticket inspector: But this train doesn’t go to Oxford, it goes to Liverpool.
Passenger: What? Liverpool? Oh no!
 
D.
Train station announcement: The next train arriving at platform 1 is the 15:45 train to Exeter, stopping at Bristol Temple Meads and arriving at Exeter St David’s at 18:30.
 
E.
Harry: What time is our train back to London? 
Angel: It leaves at 4:30. We’ve only got 5 minutes.
Harry: What platform does it leave from?
Angel: Platform 2. Look, over there. 
Harry: I can’t see our train anywhere. Let me see the ticket. Look, it says 4:20, not 4:30!
Angel: Oh no, we’ve missed it.
Harry: No we haven’t, it’s late. Look, here it is now.
Angel: Phew, that was lucky!

Worksheets and downloads

Trains and travel - exercises254.26 KB
Trains and travel - answers253.07 KB
Trains and travel - transcript246.99 KB
Discussion

Do you often use a train? What is your favourite type of public transport? Why?

Language level
A2 English level (pre-intermediate)
Topics
travel
transport
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Comments

Submitted by pomelo on Sun, 01/29/2023 - 10:22

I never use a train but i just use a train when i go to travel. I always travel by car. Cuz i can listening music and watching the outside

Submitted by msktick on Wed, 10/19/2022 - 14:50

I love trains because my father worked as a station chief,so I grew up watching different people taking and leaving trains.That was amazing.I have a lot of good memories and anecdotes.

Submitted by ahgima099 on Thu, 09/22/2022 - 06:55

I rarely take the train. I've taken the train once in my life. I like to travel by expert bus. I can take it listening music and watching the outside door. I love this feeling.

Submitted by Turtle08 on Sun, 08/28/2022 - 14:43

I rarely use a train. My favourite public transport is the plane because it's the fastest and also because I can look at the clouds from above.

Submitted by Baldbanana on Tue, 07/05/2022 - 10:28

I usually don't use a train, but I took 2 rides on a train last week. I prefer local trains because they're comfortable and sometimes you can even find a restroom inside.

Submitted by Fadikly on Thu, 06/02/2022 - 17:51

in last week i went to Konak by train. it was excellent . i like use trains during travel
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Submitted by Ebrarr on Wed, 06/01/2022 - 07:54

l have becer traveled by train before
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Submitted by Tato_Learner22 on Fri, 11/12/2021 - 03:18

In Mexico, the most used public transport is the subway, I prefer to take the "combi", it looks like big wagon, I usually take this transport because is the closest to my house
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Submitted by Kostantinus on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 11:15

I use a train at least once a month to visit my family in my hometown. My favorite kind of transport is an airplane, because during the flight I feel myself very relaxed and can observe amazing sky's views.

Submitted by Nooname on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 17:59

My favourite is plane.But we usually use car

Submitted by altair28 on Tue, 10/20/2020 - 03:19

I have never used train before but id really like to try that in a future, my fauvorite transport is the car, u can listen the music you want and do whatever you whant
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Submitted by Xuka on Thu, 08/20/2020 - 17:39

I don't often use the train. I only had some trips by train a long time ago. And they were very interesting and memorable. I think my favorite public transport is the bus but only for short distances, within the city, such as going to school, going shopping or going out with my friends. Because it's convenient, stress-free, environmentally-friendly, and very cheap. I still get to meet people and see things while getting from point A to point B, and it can be very calming as well. But when I have to travel long distances, the bus is not comfortable and secure. Thus, traveling by train or plane is a better option for long trips.

Submitted by Ian_reynoso on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 18:22

Not only use train daily, mostly use the truck

Submitted by killrex1 on Wed, 08/12/2020 - 18:28

talk about five peple searching your final departure
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Submitted by Shashi on Sun, 08/02/2020 - 02:45

Hi! I some time use a train. I like train as my favorite public transport. It is longer than a bus. It is very comfortable and very condition is very good.
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Submitted by Giovannichoi on Wed, 06/24/2020 - 07:43

NO
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Submitted by DIGIOTANIMES on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 20:27

I have never been by train, my favorite means of transport is the plane since it is faster than other means of transport, which would take land or sea by plane, the time is much shorter

Submitted by _16lx on Sun, 04/12/2020 - 20:16

I'm from Saudi Arabia and I use the train once time in my life and I like plane for traveling cuz its most comfortable and fast

Submitted by itzel_epn on Fri, 03/27/2020 - 01:08

Hi! guys I am Itzel, I don´t travel although I would love to, but I think it is a lot of fun because you meet new people, places and traditions. :)

Submitted by Thu on Sun, 07/07/2019 - 11:17

Hello everybody. I'm from Vietnam. I used to the train when I was a student. My favourite type of public transport is the train. Because I don't carsick when moving by train. : )
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Submitted by nga2k5ute on Fri, 08/23/2019 - 13:45

Ok, where so you live in VN? I don't know that Vietnamese can travel regularly by train!
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Submitted by khanhlinh92004 on Fri, 07/20/2018 - 14:04

My last train was in 2008 when I traveled to Hanoi with my father. Everything seemed strange to me. I had been very excited. And then, I slept all the trip. There is one thing I remember is that I had cried a lot and my father give me a chocobin ( a box of animal chocolate cookies ). I ate it and stopped crying. It had become my unforgettable memory. I like traveling by train a lot.
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Submitted by bilko on Sun, 01/28/2018 - 18:04

In 2015 i went to Germany with my family for holiday. I traveled from Friedrichshafen to Ulm by train. I visited Ulmer Münster ( Huge cathedral ) and climbed it's tower. Both this train trip and visiting historical cathedral impressed me a lot. I advice everybody...

Submitted by phuong (not verified) on Thu, 09/03/2015 - 16:08

I never travel by strain cuz i don't have occasion. In the future, i hope to use the train. It's a good chance to experience. I always travel by bus cuz it's cheap, useful and convenient.
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