The firs Spanish railway

The first Spanish railway

     Read the text and answer the questions:

The first railway line in the world was inaugurated on 27th September, 1825 between Stockton and Darlington in the United Kingdom. The line was designed and laid by George Stephenson, the man who invented the steam engine.

The first railway line to carry passengers and merchandise was inaugurated on 15th September five years later, and went from Liverpool to Manchester.

Soon railway lines were being laid all over the world. The first Spanish railway line was laid in Cuba, which was then a colony of Spain. It was inaugurated in 1837 and went between Habana and Guines.

The first rail passengers in Spain travelled on the line constructed between Barcelona and Mataró in 1848. On the day of the inauguration the train carried 900 passengers in 24 wagons. In 1851 a new line linked Madrid and Aranjuez.

Nowadays there are more than 15,000 kilometres of railway tracks in Spain. Thanks to the train, communications and transport improved greatly in a country that was beginning to undergo its industrial revolution.

a. Which was the first country to construct railway lines? When was the first line inaugurated?

b. Who was George Stephenson?

c. When was the first railway line for passengers inaugurated?

d. Where was the first Spanish railway line constructed? Which towns did it connect?

e. Where was the first railway line in Spain constructed?

f. How did the railways help the spread of the Industrial Revolution?