6.2.2

Section 2

You’ll hear a customer services official giving information to a passenger at a railway station in a town called Trebirch . First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 17.

. . . . . .

Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 17.

Hello. Um my family and I are staying here in Trebirch for a week or two, and we wanted to know about the train services, we’re hoping to do a few local trips.

OK, well, I can give you lots of details about all the trains going from Trebirch in the south west.

This leaflet will be very helpful but I can tell you some of the main things.

We’ve got two main train stations in this town, King Street is for local commuter lines and regional services.

What about trains to London? I’ll need to go there on business for one day.

Then you need to go to Central Station, that’s for all the national services.

There are regular trains to London. They leave Trebirch every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends.

It takes about two hours, a bit longer on Sundays.

You’ve got a choice of first and second class and there’s a buffet car-though refreshments are included in the cost of a first class ticket.

Ah, right. Um, and have you got any information on different ticket types?

Yes, there’s a range of ticket prices depending on when you travel and when you buy your ticket.

There is a standard open ticket which doesn’t have any restrictions.

This can be bought in advance or on the day.

You could also get various discounted tickets. A popular one is called the Supersave, and, er, this is OK for travel after 8.45.

Then there’s the Special ticket, which is valid for travel after 10.15.

The Special tickets are also valid for travel at weekends.

The cheapest tickets are called Advance, and you have to to buy them at least six days ahead.

Only a certain number are available and you have to make seat reservations for these.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 18 to 20.

. . . . . .

Now listen and answer questions 18 to 20.

Thanks, and are there lots of places to go to around here?

Oh, yes. you could enjoy many days out.

Um, there’s the Merthyr Mining Museum, which is only half an hour from Trebirch by train.

Your children will find it just as fascinating as any theme park and they can ride in the regional miners’ lifts and on the coal trains.

There are special excursion tickets which include entrance fees.

Mainline trains also offer direct services to Bristol, where you can visit the docks or spend a great day out with the children in the Zoo, which is set in the parkland that used to surround the old castle.

Er, special family awayday fares are available for the service now during the school holidays.

Er, alternatively you can be in Birmingham in only an hour and a half, where there is lots to see and do including the new and internationally-acclaimed Climbing Wall built on the site of the old aquarium.

We will also be running a special service to Newport, when the new science museum opens next year, as we anticipate a lot of visitors in the opening weeks.

I’d advise you to call early to book your ticket. Is that OK? -Yes, thanks.

That is the end of section 2. You now have half of a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section 3.