Trains conversation questions
A printable worksheet of discussion questions about trains. There are some difficult words in this activity that you may need to pre-teach before starting. These include – sleeper berth, distance, steam, products, railway, vehicles, buffet car, powered, derail, and stranger (noun).
The trains conversation questions are –
Do you like travelling by train? When did you last go on a train journey?
How far away is the nearest train station from your home?
Is travelling by train expensive in your country? What is a basic train fare?
How is train travel different to bus or aeroplane travel?
Have you ever had a sleeper berth on a train? What was it like?
What is the longest distance you have travelled by train?
Have you ever seen or been on a steam train? Where was it?
Do trains in your country run on time or are they often late?
What kinds of products do trains transport in your country?
What is the railway system like in your country? Is it modern? Are there many trains?
Does your country have any underground trains or sky trains?
Would you like to be a train driver? What skills do train drivers need to have?
Do you think trains are safe? How do they compare to other vehicles for safety?
How have trains changed over time? What would you like to change about trains?
Have you ever eaten in the buffet car of a train? What did you eat? Was it good?
What kinds of things do you do to pass the time on train journeys?
Do you know of any famous train journeys in other parts of the world?
Do you think that trains are good for the environment? Why or why not?
How are most trains powered in your country?
What is the last train-related piece of news you read or heard?
Do you like to talk to strangers on trains or just keep to yourself?
What are some things that can cause a train to derail?
What kinds of things do you think railway workers do each day?
If you could take a train journey anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Train idioms
Here are some peculiar train idioms you can introduce to your students after discussing the trains conversation questions.
If you lose your train of thought, you forget what you were thinking or talking about.
The gravy train is a very easy job or source of income that makes a lot of money but requires little or no work.
If an opportunity or chance of something passes by and is no longer available, a person may say “That train has left the station“.
The words train wreck can be used to describe something that goes very badly or is a complete failure.
To chug along is to continue working or doing something slowly steadily. This is like the sound of a locomotion.
If you railroad something, you push it through against heavy opposition. This term is often used in regard to policies and politics.
