The Trans-Australian Railway Reading Answers

Mar 5, 2025

The Trans-Australian Railway Reading Answers is a generic topic for IELTS Reading Answers. The Trans-Australian Railway Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions. From Questions No. 1 -8, you have to answer the questions in ONE WORD only. And, for the remaining questions (Questions No. 9-13), you have to answer the questions in either TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN options.

The IELTS Reading Section is essential to assess a candidate's ability to understand and interpret various texts. It tests comprehension skills through paragraphs on various topics. This article provides IELTS Reading Practice Tests that reflect real exam scenarios. Whether preparing for academic or general training modules, these questions will help you become familiar with the exam format and boost your confidence for the actual exam.

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Section 1 The Trans-Australian Railway Reading Answers

Up until the first part of the 20th century, communications across the Australian continent were relatively undeveloped. Perth, the capital of Western Australia, remained isolated from Australia's eastern states until the Trans-Australian Railway (TAR) was built across the arid area known as the Nullarbor (No Trees) Plain. During the 19th century, the only form of transport between the west coast and the eastern cities was a long and often rough sea voyage across the Great Australian Bight, while the first east-west crossing of the Nullarbor Plain on foot was achieved by the English explorer Edward Eyre and his Indigenous Australian guide Wylie in 1841. In 1877 a telegraph line was built across the plain, and it was this man-made structure that a mining engineer called Arthur Richardson followed, when he set out in 1896 to be the first to ride a bicycle around the Australian continent.

The first railway in Western Australia had opened in 1871, and by 1896 there was a 313-mile line going eastwards through the inhospitable landscape as far as Kalgoorlie. This line was built alongside a pipeline carrying drinking water to the arid goldfields around Kalgoorlie. Meanwhile, in the south-east of the continent, a railway line from Port Augusta to Oodnadetta had opened in 1891. These early railways in both the east and the west were built to the narrow gauge of 3ft 6in. In 1901, the self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia got together to form a federation. One of the incentives held out to Western Australia to become a member had been the promise of a trans-continental railway linking Perth with the eastern cities. A survey of the route across the featureless Nullarbor Plain was completed in 1909, and construction started to join the two existing railways at each end in 1912. Despite the onset of the First World War, work progressed until the two lines finally converged, at a site in an area of desert, in 1917. The railway's claim to fame is that its route includes the longest stretch-297 miles-of straight track in the world. Although the existing railways at each end had been built to the narrow gauge, the new 1,052-mile stretch was built to the standard gauge of 4ft 8in. 1896: These two breaks of gauge would mean a true trans-continental service did not exist until 1970.

Water supplies for steam engines on the TAR route were non-existent, as the railway did not cross a permanent watercourse along its entire length. To overcome this, the TAR line's original chief engineer had requested diesel engines, but his request was not granted, so steam haulage had to be supported by extra water tankers carried on each train. Australian-built, diesel-electric engines eventually replaced steam haulage in 1951. As well as being an important freight route, the new line saw the introduction of the Trans Australian Express, a service that commenced running in 1917 to serve isolated communities and settlements along its route. For much of its long-running life, this twice-weekly train consisted solely of sleeping cars; seated accommodation was only included from 1981 until the service terminated ten years later. The route of the train was extended following the conversion to standard gauge of its narrow-gauge sections in 1970, but facing increased competition from air travel it last ran in June 1991.

One long-lived curiosity of the trans-Australian network was the Tea and Sugar Train, which also started running in 1917. The train brought to communities along the route not only the necessities for everyday life but also a butcher's shop, medical facilities, and a cinema. It last ran in 1996. Despite the withdrawal of the Trans-Australian Express between Adelaide and Perth in 1991, the Indian Pacific service has operated between Sydney on the East Coast and Perth since 1970, the year that the TAR route was completely converted to standard gauge. Great Southern Rail operates this service. It runs twice a week between Adelaide and Perth, and once a week between Sydney and Perth. The journey time for the complete 2,704-mile Journey is 66% hours westbound and 71%4 hours eastbound.

The Indian Pacific service calls by at the isolated outback railway settlements of Pimba, which has a population of around fifty, Kingoonya, which only has a hotel, and Tarcoola, which has a population of around forty and is a junction for the south-north line to Darwin. It then travels to Cook, which, despite having a population of fewer than ten, is a scheduled stop, before crossing the Nullarbor Plain in a dead straight line for 297 miles to Loongana, which is uninhabited and is a request stop, and Rawlinna, also a request stop serving Australia's largest sheep station. Civilization is eventually reached at Kalgoorlie before the last leg of the journey westwards to East Perth Station. The train has carriages with seating, sleeping cars, a restaurant car, and wagons conveying passengers' motor cars.

Section 2 Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-8

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

EARLY LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

1. 19th century: lack of public transport across the continent resulted in people traveling by ____________

Answer: Sea

Supporting statement: “.......During the 19th century, the only form of transport between the west coast and the eastern cities was a long and often rough sea voyage across the Great Australian Bight, while the first east-west crossing of the Nullarbor Plain on foot was achieved by the English explorer Edward Eyre and his Indigenous Australian guide Wylie in 1841........”

Keywords: Century, Transport, Coast, Cities

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 5-9

Explanation: In the 19th century, due to the lack of developed transport throughout Australia, people relied on sea travel to travel between the west coast and eastern cities.

2. 1841: an explorer walked across the Nullarbor Plain with the help of a ____________

Answer: Guide

Keywords: Rough, Voyage, Australian, Crossing

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 5-9

Explanation: The passage states, “The first east-west route across the Nullarbor Plain on foot was achieved in 1841 by the English explorer Edward Eyre and his indigenous Australian guide Wylie.” This identifies Wylie as Eyre's guide.

3. 1877: equipment for the __________ was installed In the Nullarbor Plain

Answer: Telegraph

Supporting statement: “.......In 1877 a telegraph line was built across the plain, and it was this man-made structure that a mining engineer called Arthur Richardson followed, when he set out in 1896 to be the first to ride a bicycle around the Australian continent.........”

Keywords: Telegraph, Built, Plain, Structure

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 9-12

Explanation: In 1877, a telegraph line was built across the Nullarbor plain to facilitate long-distance communications. This was a necessary development before the construction of the railways.

4. 1896: a new railway line in Western Australia followed the route of a ___________.

Answer: Pipeline

Supporting statement: “.......The first railway in Western Australia had opened in 1871, and by 1896 there was a 313-mile line going eastwards through the inhospitable landscape as far as Kalgoorlie. This line was built alongside a pipeline carrying drinking water to the arid goldfields around Kalgoorlie.........”

Keywords: Railway, Western Australia, Landscape

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 1-4

Explanation: In 1896 the new railway line in Western Australia followed the route of a pipeline carrying drinking water to the dry gold fields around Kalgoorlie.

5. 1901: the prospect of an interstate railway persuaded Western Australia to join a __________.

Answer: Federation

Supporting statement: “.......In 1901, the self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia got together to form a federation. One of the incentives held out to Western Australia to become a member had been the promise of a trans-continental railway linking Perth with the eastern cities..........”

Keywords: Colonies, Federation, Incentives, Member

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 7-11

Explanation: In 1901, Western Australia joined a federation of Australian colonies, partly because of the promise of a transcontinental railway.

6. 1917: TAR was completed in a ___________ location

Answer: Desert

Supporting statement: “.......Despite the onset of the First World War, work progressed until the two lines finally converged, at a site in an area of desert, in 1917...........”

Keywords: Onset, World War, Converged

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 13-14

Explanation: The TAR was completed in an area of desert, highlighting the harsh and remote conditions of the region.

7. 1917: the _________ section of TAR was longer than that in any other country

Answer: Straight

Supporting statement: “........The railway's claim to fame is that its route includes the longest stretch-297 miles-of straight track in the world...........”

Keywords: Claim, Fame, Route, Stretch

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 15-16

Explanation: The text states that the Trans-Australian Railway (TAR) comprises “the world's longest section—297 miles—of straight track”. This confirms that the longest section was a straight track.

8. 1917: The new 4ft 8½ inch TAR track was a ____________ width

Answer: Standard

Supporting statement: “........Although the existing railways at each end had been built to the narrow gauge, the new 1,052-mile stretch was built to the standard gauge of 4ft 8in. ...........”

Keywords: Existing, Built, Narrow Gauge

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 16-18

Explanation: The passage states that the new 1,052-mile section of the Trans-Australian Railway (TAR) was built on the standard gauge of 4 feet 8½ inches.

Questions 9-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

9. The first chief engineer's recommendation for TAR trains was fully implemented

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “.........Water supplies for steam engines on the TAR route were non-existent, as the railway did not cross a permanent watercourse along its entire length. To overcome this, the TAR line's original chief engineer had requested diesel engines, but his request was not granted, so steam haulage had to be supported by extra water tankers carried on each train. ..........”

Keywords: Water, Steam, Engines, Route

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 1-5

Explanation: The Chief Engineer's recommendation for diesel engines was not followed, so steam haulage with additional water tankers was used instead.

10. The Trans-Australian Express was popular with both residents and tourists.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage does not mention whether the Trans-Australian Express was popular with both residents and tourists. It only talks about its introduction, passage and ultimately ending.

11. Demand for Trans-Australian Express services eventually fell due to the availability of alternative transport

Answer: TRUE

Keywords: Water, Steam, Engines, Route

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 1-5

Explanation: The Chief Engineer's recommendation for diesel engines was not followed, so steam haulage with additional water tankers was used instead.

12. The Tea and Sugar Train provided health services as well as food supplies.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........The train brought to communities along the route not only the necessities for everyday life but also a butcher's shop, medical facilities, and a cinema...........”

Keywords: Train, Communities, Route, Necessities

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 2-4

Explanation: The tea and sugar train not only provided necessities for daily life but also provided medical facilities, confirming that it provided health services.

13. The Indian Pacific service was introduced before the entire TAR route became a standard gauge.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “..........Despite the withdrawal of the Trans-Australian Express between Adelaide and Perth in 1991, the Indian Pacific service has operated between Sydney on the East Coast and Perth since 1970, the year that the TAR route was completely converted to standard gauge...........”

Keywords: Withdrawal, Service, Operated, Gauge

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 4-7

Explanation: Indo-Pacific service began in 1970, the same year the TAR route was completely converted to standard gauge. This implies that the service was introduced before full standardization was achieved.

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