Railway RRB / NTPC - MCQ Practice Questions

# Indian Railways Braking System

The primary braking system used in Indian Railways is the Air Braking System (Westinghouse type), which uses compressed air to apply and release brakes across multiple coaches simultaneously.

## Step 1: Understanding Braking System Types

Indian Railways operates over 68,000 km of track with thousands of coaches. The braking system must be:

## Step 2: Why Air Braking System (Westinghouse)?

The Westinghouse air braking system is preferred because:

## Step 3: Comparison with Other Systems

| System | Advantages | Disadvantages |

|--------|-----------|---------------|

| Air (Westinghouse) | Fail-safe, long trains, quick | Complex |

| Vacuum | Simpler, older | Slower, unreliable |

| Hydraulic | Compact | Limited range, not fail-safe |

| Electromagnetic | Fast | Requires electricity, expensive |

## Step 4: Indian Railways Standard

Indian Railways adopted the Westinghouse air braking system as the standard because it is:

Answer: Air braking system (Westinghouse) (Option B)

52 kg/m is the standard rail section weight commonly used on Indian Railway routes.

Rajdhani Express is a premium intercity service connecting major cities with high-speed and premium amenities.

Sidings are branch tracks where trains can be parked, waiting, or loaded/unloaded without blocking main lines.

The Office of Chief Safety Officer under the Ministry of Railways oversees railway safety in India.

The minimum track curvature radius for broad gauge is approximately 800 meters on Indian Railways.

Howrah Station in Kolkata has the maximum number of platforms (23 platforms) among Indian railway stations.

OHE stands for Overhead Equipment in Indian Railway terminology. It refers to the entire system of wires, masts, and supporting structures installed above the railway tracks to supply electric power to electric locomotives and EMUs (Electric Multiple Units). The OHE carries high-voltage alternating current (25 kV AC in India) that the pantograph of the train collects to power the traction motors. This is a very common term used by Indian Railways and frequently appears in RRB/NTPC exams.

Average speed = Distance/Time = $\frac{480}{8}$ = 60 km/h

The train departs at 6:00 AM and arrives at 2:00 PM, so the total time taken is $2:00\text{PM}-6:00\text{AM}=8\text{hours}$. Using the formula:

So the correct answer is 45 km/h (Option A). Many students mistakenly choose 60 km/h by incorrectly counting only 6 hours (perhaps thinking 6 AM to 12 PM), but carefully counting from 6 AM to 2 PM gives a full 8 hours. Always double-check the time gap by counting hour by hour if needed: 6→7→8→9→10→11→12→1→2, which is exactly 8 hours.

Percentage increase = (100-80)/80 × 100 = $\frac{20}{80}$ × 100 = 25%

Sleepers (ties) support rails, maintain gauge, and distribute loads; train speed control is managed by braking systems and track design, not sleepers.

IRSS refers to Integrated Railway Signal System used in modern Indian Railways for safe train operations.

The broad gauge of 1676 mm (or 5 feet 6 inches) is the standard gauge used in most of Indian Railways.

Railway crossings include level crossings, grade separations, and diagonal crossings. Overhead crossing is not a standard railway crossing type.

As per Indian Railways norms, the maximum permissible speed for narrow gauge (NG) trains (track gauge of 762 mm or 610 mm) is 60 km/h. Broad gauge trains can run up to 160 km/h (and higher on select corridors), while metre gauge trains are generally limited to 100 km/h. Narrow gauge lines, being the smallest gauge used by Indian Railways, have the lowest maximum speed limit of 60 km/h due to their track design and infrastructure constraints.

Average speed = Total distance / Total time = 360 km / 12 hours = 30 km/h

A turntable is a rotating platform used in railway yards to turn locomotives and wagons for repositioning without reversing.

PWAY stands for Permanent Way, which refers to the railway track structure including rails, sleepers, and ballast.

Percentage increase = [(90-60)/60] × 100 = ($\frac{30}{60}$) × 100 = 50%