For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead. “We can do without railways.” people say, as if motorcars and planes have made the railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow ,that they lose money and that they’re dying. But this is far from the truth. In these days of expensive oil, the railways have become highly competitive (变得很有竞争力) with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they’re cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another. It doesn’t leave you as plane does, miles and miles from the city center. It doesn’t hold you up as a car does in endless traffic jams. And a single train can carry goods which a plane or motorcar could never do.

Far from being dead, the railways are much alive, Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey, where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at high speed at the same time ? And we are only at the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super fast trains, trains traveling at 150 miles an hour and more .Soon we will be wondering why we have spent so much on motorcars or planes.

Public transport is part of everyday life. When we can move around with ease, we don’t just benefit as individuals — we benefit as a society. 【小题1】

At first the idea might seem unworkable, but we just need to cast our eyes to one of the cities that have already performed it. 【小题2】 The city’s residents pay a small fee for a pass that gives them free access to public transport, but tourists still need full payment. In one sense, this supports the city’s transport budget, but it also means there is still a need for expensive ticketing equipment. Wouldn’t it be simpler to remove ticketing altogether and instead charge a tourist tax for overnight stays?

In Luxembourg, from 2020, ministers decided to cancel fares on trains, trams and buses to stop the deepening gap between rich and poor. 【小题3】 In 2019, Delhi’s chief minister announced free bus rides for women to address the fact that women were far less likely to be travelling on buses and trains in the first place. This plan has been rolled out in a region with a 16.9 million population, which means that free transport isn’t only workable for small cities.

【小题4】 Bosses have the potential to use it as an opportunity to cut staffing. Such concerns made transport unions oppose free travel. Passenger campaign groups should work with transport unions to make a dual (双重的) demand for free urban transport. Ticket clerks who currently perform spot-checks should be trained to provide assistance to anyone who requires help on board. 【小题5】 But as well as the potential for reducing car usage, it could help make public transport safe, secure and accessible for all.