Unit train

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/unit-train

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a unit train?A unit train is a long train that carries only one type of cargo, like coal or grain, from one place to another without stopping to change cars.
2. Why do trains use unit trains instead of mixing different goods?It saves time and money by not having to sort cars, making the trip faster and cheaper.

Block Train: An alternative term for a unit train, emphasizing the contiguous block of cars carrying a single commodity.
Wagonload Service: A rail freight service where individual wagons (cars) are consolidated and sorted at marshalling yards for various destinations and customers.
Marshalling Yard: A railway yard where freight trains are assembled, sorted, and dispatched.