Liverpool Street station in London is now the busiest station in Britain, beating Waterloo, according to new data from the Office of Rail and Road. The increase in passengers is due to the full opening of the Elizabeth line, which has changed the way people travel. Other busy stations outside of London include Birmingham New Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central, and Cardiff Central. Liverpool Street station saw a big increase in entries and exits, reaching a total of 80.4 million between April 2022 and March 2023.

The opening of the Elizabeth line in May 2022, which also stops at Paddington, helped Liverpool Street station become the busiest. It had 59.2 million entries and exits, while Waterloo dropped to third place with 57.8 million entries and exits. The Elizabeth line has had a big impact on London’s transportation system, with stations like Farringdon serving 30 million passengers. However, there have been some concerns about its performance at Paddington.

These figures show how important it is to invest in good rail infrastructure. The success of the Elizabeth line proves that people are willing to use and rely on well-designed and efficient transportation systems. The director of planning and performance at the Office of Rail and Road, Feras Alshaker, mentioned that Waterloo had been the busiest station in Britain for most of the past 18 years. The least used station during the year was Denton in Greater Manchester, with only 34 entries and exits, while Teesside Airport station had just two entries and exits because its Sunday service was suspended.

In conclusion, Liverpool Street station is now the busiest station in Britain because of the Elizabeth line. These numbers show the importance of investing in good rail infrastructure and how people are happy to use efficient transportation systems.

Original news source: Liverpool Street becomes Britain’s busiest station (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Each team will take turns choosing a word or phrase related to the article. One person from the team will act out the word or phrase without speaking, and their team members must guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. The team with the most points at the end wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article. They should focus on the key information and try to condense it into a brief summary. After each summary, the other students can ask questions or provide feedback on the accuracy and clarity of the summary.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Investing in rail infrastructure is important for a city’s development” or “Public transportation is the best way to travel in a busy city.” Have students move around the classroom and find someone who agrees or disagrees with each statement. They should ask why the person holds that opinion and then report back to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down a list of vocabulary words from the article on separate slips of paper. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. One person from each group will pick a slip of paper and draw a picture to represent the word. Their group members must guess the word based on the drawing. The group that correctly guesses the most words wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of transportation in their own cities or countries based on the article. They should consider factors such as population growth, technological advancements, and environmental concerns. After the discussion, each group will share their predictions with the class and explain their reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. According to new data, which station is now the busiest in Britain?
2. What is the reason for the increase in passengers at Liverpool Street station?
3. Can you name some other busy stations outside of London?
4. How many entries and exits did Liverpool Street station have between April 2022 and March 2023?
5. What impact has the opening of the Elizabeth line had on London’s transportation system?
6. What concerns have been raised about the performance of the Elizabeth line at Paddington?
7. Why is it important to invest in good rail infrastructure?
8. Which station was the least used during the year?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Liverpool Street station in (1)______ is now the busiest station in Britain, beating Waterloo, according to new data from the Office of Rail and Road. The increase in passengers is due to the full opening of the Elizabeth line, which has changed the way (2)______ travel. Other busy stations outside of London include Birmingham New Street, Leeds, (3)______ Piccadilly, Glasgow (4)______, and Cardiff Central. Liverpool Street station saw a big increase in entries and exits, (5)______ a total of 80.4 million between April 2022 and March 2023.

The opening of the Elizabeth line in May 2022, which also stops at (6)______, (7)______ Liverpool Street station become the busiest. It had 59.2 million entries and exits, while Waterloo dropped to third place with 57.8 million entries and exits. The Elizabeth line has had a big (8)______ on London’s transportation system, with stations like Farringdon serving 30 million passengers. However, there have been some concerns about its performance at Paddington.

These (9)______ show how important it is to invest in good rail infrastructure. The (10)______ of the Elizabeth line proves that people are willing to use and rely on well-designed and efficient transportation systems. The director of planning and performance at the Office of Rail and Road, Feras (11)______, (12)______ that Waterloo had been the busiest station in Britain for most of the past 18 years. The least used station during the year was Denton in (13)______ Manchester, with only 34 (14)______ and (15)______, while Teesside (16)______ station had just two entries and exits because its Sunday service was suspended.

In conclusion, Liverpool Street station is now the busiest station in Britain because of the Elizabeth line. These numbers show the importance of investing in good rail infrastructure and how people are happy to use efficient transportation systems.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is the busiest train station in Britain now?
2. How would you feel if you had to travel on a crowded train every day?
3. Do you like using public transportation? Why or why not?
4. What do you think makes a transportation system efficient?
5. Have you ever been to Liverpool Street station? What was your experience like?
6. How do you think the opening of the Elizabeth line has changed the way people travel?
7. What other busy train stations are there outside of London?
8. Do you think investing in good rail infrastructure is important? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the Elizabeth line has impacted London’s transportation system?
10. What concerns do you think people might have about the performance of the Elizabeth line at Paddington?
11. Have you ever traveled on the Elizabeth line? What was your experience like?
12. Why do you think Waterloo had been the busiest station in Britain for most of the past 18 years?
13. What is the least used train station in Britain? Why do you think it has so few entries and exits?
14. Have you ever been to a train station that was very crowded? How did you feel?
15. How important do you think efficient transportation systems are for a city? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. infrastructure
2. efficient
3. passengers
4. entries
5. exits
6. performance
7. suspended
8. director
9. planning
10. transportation
11. invest
12. rely
13. busiest
14. statistics
15. suspended

Meanings:
(A) To put money into something with the expectation that it will grow or become more valuable
(B) To depend on someone or something for support or help
(C) Having the most activity or people moving around in it
(D) To stop something from happening or being in use for a period of time
(E) The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
(F) Information in the form of numbers that shows information clearly
(G) The act of leaving a place
(H) Working in a well-organized and competent way
(I) The act of going into a place
(J) People who are traveling in a vehicle but are not operating it
(K) How well something or someone does a task or job
(L) Temporarily stopped or not active
(M) The act of making decisions about how something will be done in the future
(N) The system or way of moving people or goods from one place to another
(O) A person who is in charge of an organization or part of an organization
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. According to new data, which station is now the busiest in Britain?
(a) Waterloo
(b) Birmingham New Street
(c) Manchester Piccadilly
(d) Liverpool Street

2. What has contributed to the increase in passengers at Liverpool Street station?
(a) The opening of the Elizabeth line
(b) The closure of other stations
(c) A decrease in ticket prices
(d) The introduction of new train routes

3. Which station dropped to third place in terms of entries and exits?
(a) Paddington
(b) Farringdon
(c) Waterloo
(d) Teesside Airport

4. How many entries and exits did Liverpool Street station have between April 2022 and March 2023?
(a) 59.2 million
(b) 57.8 million
(c) 30 million
(d) 80.4 million

5. What impact has the Elizabeth line had on London’s transportation system?
(a) It has caused concerns about performance at Paddington
(b) It has served 30 million passengers at Farringdon
(c) It has decreased the number of passengers at other stations
(d) It has suspended the Sunday service at Teesside Airport station

6. What do these figures show about rail infrastructure?
(a) Rail infrastructure is not important for transportation systems
(b) Rail infrastructure has no impact on passenger numbers
(c) It is important to invest in good rail infrastructure
(d) Rail infrastructure should only be invested in for busy stations

7. Who mentioned that Waterloo had been the busiest station in Britain for most of the past 18 years?
(a) The director of planning and performance at the Office of Rail and Road
(b) Feras Alshaker
(c) The Elizabeth line
(d) Liverpool Street station

8. Which station had the least number of entries and exits during the year?
(a) Denton
(b) Teesside Airport
(c) Waterloo
(d) Paddington

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The opening of the Elizabeth line in May 2022 helped Liverpool Street station become the busiest, with 59.2 million entries and exits.
2. Liverpool Street station in London has become the least busy station in Britain, falling behind Waterloo.
3. Waterloo maintained its position as the second busiest station with 57.8 million entries and exits.
4. The Elizabeth line has had a minimal impact on London’s transportation system, with stations like Farringdon serving only 30 million passengers.
5. Liverpool Street station had a significant increase in entries and exits, reaching a total of 80.4 million between April 2022 and March 2023.
6. The failure of the Elizabeth line highlights the insignificance of investing in well-designed and efficient transportation systems.
7. Other busy stations outside of London include Birmingham New Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central, and Cardiff Central.
8. The increase in passengers is due to the full opening of the Elizabeth line, which has changed the way people travel.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the reason behind Liverpool Street station becoming the busiest station in Britain?
2. Which other stations outside of London are mentioned as being busy?
3. How has the opening of the Elizabeth line affected London’s transportation system?
4. Why is it important to invest in good rail infrastructure?
5. Which stations were the least used during the year?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. According to new data, Liverpool Street station is now the busiest station in Britain.
2. The increase in passengers at Liverpool Street station is due to the full opening of the Elizabeth line, which has changed the way people travel.
3. Some other busy stations outside of London include Birmingham New Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central, and Cardiff Central.
4. Liverpool Street station had a total of 80.4 million entries and exits between April 2022 and March 2023.
5. The opening of the Elizabeth line has had a big impact on London’s transportation system, making it more efficient and convenient for passengers.
6. There have been concerns about the performance of the Elizabeth line at Paddington, although the article does not specify what these concerns are.
7. It is important to invest in good rail infrastructure because it allows for the development of efficient and reliable transportation systems that people are willing to use.
8. The least used station during the year was Denton in Greater Manchester, with only 34 entries and exits.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) London
(2) people
(3) Manchester
(4) Central
(5) reaching
(6) Paddington
(7) helped
(8) impact
(9) figures
(10) success
(11) Alshaker
(12) mentioned
(13) Greater
(14) entries
(15) exits
(16) Airport
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. infrastructure
Answer: (E) The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise

2. efficient
Answer: (H) Working in a well-organized and competent way

3. passengers
Answer: (J) People who are traveling in a vehicle but are not operating it

4. entries
Answer: (I) The act of going into a place

5. exits
Answer: (G) The act of leaving a place

6. performance
Answer: (K) How well something or someone does a task or job

7. suspended
Answer: (L) Temporarily stopped or not active

8. director
Answer: (O) A person who is in charge of an organization or part of an organization

9. planning
Answer: (M) The act of making decisions about how something will be done in the future

10. transportation
Answer: (N) The system or way of moving people or goods from one place to another

11. invest
Answer: (A) To put money into something with the expectation that it will grow or become more valuable

12. rely
Answer: (B) To depend on someone or something for support or help

13. busiest
Answer: (C) Having the most activity or people moving around in it

14. statistics
Answer: (F) Information in the form of numbers that shows information clearly

15. suspended
Answer: (D) To stop something from happening or being in use for a period of time
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. According to new data, which station is now the busiest in Britain?
Answer: (d) Liverpool Street

2. What has contributed to the increase in passengers at Liverpool Street station?
Answer: (a) The opening of the Elizabeth line

3. Which station dropped to third place in terms of entries and exits?
Answer: (c) Waterloo

4. How many entries and exits did Liverpool Street station have between April 2022 and March 2023?
Answer: (d) 80.4 million

5. What impact has the Elizabeth line had on London’s transportation system?
Answer: (b) It has served 30 million passengers at Farringdon

6. What do these figures show about rail infrastructure?
Answer: (c) It is important to invest in good rail infrastructure

7. Who mentioned that Waterloo had been the busiest station in Britain for most of the past 18 years?
Answer: (b) Feras Alshaker

8. Which station had the least number of entries and exits during the year?
Answer: (a) Denton
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The opening of the Elizabeth line in May 2022 helped Liverpool Street station become the busiest, with 59.2 million entries and exits. (Answer: True)
2. Liverpool Street station in London has become the least busy station in Britain, falling behind Waterloo. (Answer: False)
3. Waterloo maintained its position as the second busiest station with 57.8 million entries and exits. (Answer: False)
4. The Elizabeth line has had a minimal impact on London’s transportation system, with stations like Farringdon serving only 30 million passengers. (Answer: False)
5. Liverpool Street station had a significant increase in entries and exits, reaching a total of 80.4 million between April 2022 and March 2023. (Answer: True)
6. The failure of the Elizabeth line highlights the insignificance of investing in well-designed and efficient transportation systems. (Answer: False)
7. Other busy stations outside of London include Birmingham New Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Glasgow Central, and Cardiff Central. (Answer: True)
8. The increase in passengers is due to the full opening of the Elizabeth line, which has changed the way people travel. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧