©Midnight Trains
Pre-reading questions:
- How do you go to work/school?
- Do you enjoy staying in hotels?
Vocabulary:
- route /root/
- network /NET-wurk/
- alternative /awl-TUR-nuh-tiv/
- seek /seek/
- option /OP-shuhn/
[noun] – a particular way or direction between places
I need to find the fastest route from Tokyo to Nagano.
[noun] – a large system consisting of many similar parts that are connected together to allow movement between the parts and a control center
Japan Railways operates about 70 percent of Japan’s railway network.
[noun] – An alternative plan or method is one that you can use if you do not want to use another one
A metal straw is an alternative to plastic straw.
[verb] – to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object
Many people are seeking happiness and peace.
[noun] – one thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities, or the freedom to make a choice:
You have the option to study abroad next year.
Article reading:
Adrien Aumont and Romain Payet, founders of a French start-up, have made public a new network of overnight services from Paris to 12 European destinations starting in 2024. This project aims to improve the overnight train experience by kicking off a “hotel on rails” that offers a more environmentally friendly and comfortable alternative to the basic night train services in Europe. Passengers can expect bookable rooms with an onboard restaurant, a bar, and an app-operated concierge service. According to Payet, travelers are seeking a more convenient way to travel. Moreover, both Aumont and Payet believe that Midnight Trains is a perfect option for those concerned with the environmental effects of flying. In 2030, the network plans to become fully operational, with routes from Paris to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Scotland.
Domestic travel in Sweden was down 9% in 2018, while Dutch airline KLM removed advertisements encouraging people to fly less in 2019. This came after the ‘flight shaming’ movement that spread across Europe as more people become aware of their carbon footprint.
Comprehension questions
- When can passengers aboard the Midnight Trains?
- What is the purpose of Midnight Trains?
- What can passengers find in the hotel-style rooms?
- What routes can passengers expect when the project becomes fully operational?
- Why did domestic travel decrease by 9% in Sweden in 2018?
Discussion questions
- When was the last time you rode on a train?
- Have you tried riding on a public vehicle in another country?
- If you were in Europe, would you go onboard the Midnight Trains?
- Do you agree that public vehicles should be more environmentally friendly?
- In your opinion, are trains better than airplanes?