Section 4.

You will hear a lecture from a professor in a history class about the
development of railways. First, you have some time to read through questions 31 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.

Last time, I briefly introduced our next topic, which is the development of locomotives and
their effect on history. We looked at the invention of the first locomotive by Richard
Trevithick in 1804 in Wales, and I explained the basic concepts and designs of the first
locomotives. Today, I'd like to move ahead and discuss the development of trains and
railway systems thereafter.

Trevithick's locomotive was not a financial success, unfortunately, but there was modest
development of small rail systems in Great Britain after that. However, it wasn't until the
early 1830s that large-scale railway construction began, and this was mainly due to
industrialization sweeping across Great Britain, which increased demand for faster and
cheaper transport. Centres of industry which contained new factories needed connections to
port cities, where manufactured products could be shipped abroad. Likewise, raw materials
needed to be sent to manufacturing plants.

And it wasn't just in the UK that railways were being built, but all around the world, and this
caused international trade to grow at a rapid rate. The mid-1800s saw an explosion of
railway construction on large landmasses. Continental Europe was also seeing an explosion
of train rails because of the demand of industrialization. Rail transport spread around the
globe quickly, notably in North America. In the US, some rail projects began in the early
1800s, but it was not until the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1828 that a railroad fully
connected cities in an entire region. It was also the first railway to be totally open to the
public rather than for a limited clientele. Canada also joined in and began building railways
extensively in the 1850s. The discovery of gold in the western part of North America offered
an additional incentive, and by the end of the century, the US and Canada each had built
transcontinental railways connecting the east and west coasts.

In the 20th century, there were several historic occasions that affected railway construction.
Most early trains ran by coal-powered steam engines. But in 1912 the first diesel-fuelled
engine was introduced, which allowed for larger weights to be transported at faster speeds
than ever. Long-distance land trips, which had previously taken weeks or even months, could
now be accomplished in just a matter of days. Railway construction continued at a fast rate,
as demand was growing for both commercial transport and passenger transit. The
occurrence of World War I and World War II slowed down the growth of railway systems a
bit, as often they were military targets and required reconstruction after being destroyed or
damaged during battles. But another period of rapid growth occurred in the 1950s, as
Europe and other parts of the world rebuilt following the aftermath of World War II.
Following that, trains were the most popular method of land transportation until usage of
automobiles and aircrafts became more widespread and popular.

So, why did train transport experience such rapid growth and success within such a relatively
short period of time? Before locomotives, land transport was primarily limited to wagons
pulled by animals. Travel times were incredibly long, making trade rather expensive and
difficult. So, world trade, even trade within the United Kingdom, was limited.
Industrialization drove the development of railways as the period demanded larger
quantities of materials and a better way to transport products. Manufacturers insisted on
having a way to transport their goods more rapidly and cheaply to consumers or centres of
commerce. And because of that, consumers started seeing a drop in the cost of
manufactured products.

Another reason rail systems grew so quickly, for Europeans and the British in particular, is
that they allowed countries to have greater control of their colonies around the world.
Soldiers and military equipment could easily and quickly be moved to wherever they were
needed.

Needed supplies were easily transported across great distances to more remote areas. Were
it not for rail systems, control of foreign territories would have been impossible. And these
days the popularity of passenger trains continues to grow and they have become even more
innovative and cost-efficient. Cleaner fuels are being used and with the development of
electric trains, railway systems are more environmentally friendly. These days we have very
sleek and modern trains in many countries that travel at speeds of up to 430 km per hour.

And now we are seeing the further construction of electromagnetic train systems which run
on perfectly clean energy. Rapid development of advanced railway systems in East Asia and
Continental Europe have made trains the most popular method of travel in those regions.
Many believe that trains will become the most popular form of transport in the future as
they are fast, efficient and affordable.

Now, before I talk about some of the positive and negative historical consequences of
railway development, I would like to briefly...

That is the end of section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers. That is
the end of the listening test. Please take 10 minutes to fill in the answer sheet with your
responses.

You now have 2 minutes left. You now have 1 minute left. You can now stop and wait
while the question booklet is collected.