Railway Engineering Questions and Answers – Different Gauges on Indian Railways

This set of Railway Engineering Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Different Gauges on Indian Railways”.

1. Which of the following are types of gauges present in Indian railways?
a) Broad gauge, metre gauge and 2 narrow gauges
b) Metre gauge, narrow gauge and 2 broad gauges
c) Standard gauge, metre gauge and narrow gauge
d) Broad gauge, standard gauge and metre gauge
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: There are 4 different types of gauges in Indian railways namely: broad gauge, meter gauge and 2 narrow gauges. The sizes of these gauges are: Broad gauge – 1676 mm, Metre gauge – 1000 mm, Narrow gauge – 762 mm and Narrow gauge – 610 mm.

2. Given below is the type of gauges used in India along with their size. Which one of the following is incorrectly matched?
a) Broad gauge – 1435 mm
b) Metre gauge – 1000 mm
c) Narrow gauge – 762 mm
d) Narrow gauge – 610 mm
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The broad gauge in India is of 1676 mm size. The size 1435 mm is of standard gauge which is widely used across the world. The broad gauge line in India covers approximately 64000 kilometers as of the year 2019.

3. Why did the Indian government introduce metre gauge?
a) To reduce the cost of construction
b) To provide stability to the rails
c) To increase the speed of the train
d) To improve the efficiency of the rails
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The Indian government wanted to reduce the cost of construction of the railways. So, it introduced metre gauge of 1000 mm. The metre gauge line in India covers approximately 3200 kilometers distance as of 2019. “Nilgiri Mountain Railways” is one of the few metre gauge lines currently operating in India. It is also recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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4. Metros and monorails in India use ______
a) Broad gauge
b) Metre gauge
c) Standard gauge
d) Narrow gauge
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The metros and monorails in India use standard gauge of 1435 mm. Both metros and monorails are not owned by the Indian Railways. Apart from these, even the “Kolkata Tram System” uses the standard gauge line.

5. India’s first passenger train from BoriBunder (Mumbai) to Thane was run on which gauge?
a) Standard gauge
b) Broad gauge
c) Narrow gauge
d) Metre gauge
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: On 16th April 1853, India’s first passenger train ran from BoriBunderto Thane on broad gauge track. It carried 400 passengers and covered a distance of 34 km. It consisted of 14 carriages and was hauled by 3 steam locomotives.
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6. Broad gauge line covers ____ % of total track length in India.
a) More than 90%
b) 85 to 90%
c) 80 to 85%
d) Less than 80%
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Broad gauge is the most predominant gauge used in India. It covers a length of approximately 92% of the total rail route in India. The Indian Railways has decided to convert all the existing lines to broad gauge as part of “Project Unigauge”.

7. Which of the following railways has narrow gauge and is still operational?
a) Assam Bengal Railway
b) Satpura Railway
c) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
d) Bikaner State Railway
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs on narrow gauge and is still operational. It has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Satpura Railway, Assam Bengal Railway and Bikaner State railway have been recently converted from narrow gauge to broad gauge.
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8. The Indian railways have decided to convert all metre gauge lines to broad gauge. However, few of them will not be converted as they would help in promoting tourism in the country.
a) True
b) False
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: True. In 2017, the Indian Railways took a decision to convert all the metre gauge lines to broad gauge. However in 2018, a meeting was held and it was decided to preserve five metre gauge lines so as to attract more tourists.

9. Recently, India launched its first engineless semi-high speed train running on broad gauge. What was the name of the train?
a) Train 16
b) Train 17
c) Train 18
d) Train 19
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: Train 18 also known as “Vande Bharat Express” is India’s first engineless and semi-high speed train. It runs on broad gauge line and has speed of approximately 180 km/hour. It has been named as Train 18 as it took nearly 18 months for its completion.
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10. On whose recommendation the broad gauge was introduced in India?
a) Mountbatten recommendation
b) Warren Hastings recommendation
c) W. Simms recommendation
d) Dalhousie recommendation
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The East India Company wanted to introduce Standard gauge of size 1435 mm in India. But, W. Simms who was the consulting engineer to the Government of India challenged this proposal and recommended a wider gauge of 1676 mm.

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