B220 words · Upper-intermediate

Road & Rail vocabulary — B2

Road and rail vocabulary for daily transport, including a detour, roadworks and the speed limit, plus a commuter, park and ride and a congested route.

20 questions

Words in this set

detour
/dɪˈtʊr/
A longer, different route taken because the usual road is blocked or closed.
Example: Roadworks forced us to take a detour through the village.
junction
/ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
The point where one road joins or crosses another, especially where you leave a motorway.
Example: Leave the motorway at junction twelve and follow the river.
overtake
/ˈoʊvərˌteɪk/
To drive past a slower vehicle in front of you and move ahead of it.
Example: Never try to overtake on a narrow country road.
windscreen
The big glass window at the front of a car that the driver looks through.
Example: A stone cracked the windscreen on the motorway.
roadworks
Repair or building work on a road that often causes delays for drivers.
Example: We were stuck for an hour because of roadworks.
speed limit
The fastest a driver is legally allowed to go on a particular road.
Example: He was fined for driving above the speed limit.
tailgate
/ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/
To drive too closely behind the vehicle in front of you.
Example: The van behind us kept tailgating on the motorway.
skid
/skɪd/
To slide sideways or lose control, especially on a wet or icy road.
Example: The car began to skid on the icy bend.
dashboard
/ˈdæʃˌbɔrd/
The panel in front of the driver showing information and controls.
Example: The warning light appeared on the dashboard.
learner driver
Someone who does not yet have a full licence and is still practising.
Example: A learner driver must display L-plates on the car.
commuter
/kəˈmjutər/
Someone who travels into a city for work each morning and home again each evening.
Example: Every commuter on this line knows the morning delays.
shuttle
/ˈʃʌtəl/
A bus or train that runs back and forth between two nearby places all day.
Example: A free shuttle runs between the car park and the terminal.
punctual
/ˈpʌŋktʃuəl/
Arriving or happening at exactly the agreed time, never late.
Example: The trams in this city are impressively punctual.
park and ride
A system where drivers leave their cars outside a city and take a bus into the centre.
Example: We used the park and ride to reach the city centre.
congested
/kənˈdʒɛstəd/
Extremely crowded or blocked, especially with traffic or people.
Example: The platform was dangerously congested during rush hour.
overcrowded
/ˈoʊvərˌkraʊdɪd/
Too full of people; more crowded than is comfortable or safe.
Example: Commuters complained about the overcrowded trains.
reliability
/riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/
The quality of being trustworthy or performing consistently well.
Example: Passengers praised the bus service's reliability.
frequency
/ˈfrikwənsi/
How often something happens, such as buses running.
Example: They increased the frequency of trains during rush hour.
subsidised
Partly paid for by the government or an organisation, to reduce the cost to users.
Example: Students get a subsidised bus pass.
real-time
/ˈrilˌtaɪm/
Happening and being shown immediately, without delay.
Example: The app shows real-time bus arrival times.