1. Out of the following countries, which country has adopted the standard gauge?:
a) England
b) India
c) Australia
d) Pakistan
Explanation: Most of the European countries have adopted the standard gauge. England was the first country to adopt this gauge. It was previously known as Stephenson gauge. The size of the standard gauge is 1435mm.
2. The unit of rail gauge is expressed in terms of ______?
a) Time
b) Length
c) Velocity
d) No unit
Explanation: Gauge can be defined as the distance between inner sides of the rails. Therefore, it has a unit of length and generally expressed in mm.
3. Which type of gauge is widely used across the world?
a) Metre gauge
b) Broad gauge
c) Standard gauge
d) Cape gauge
Explanation: Standard gauge line covers the most distance across the world. It covers approximately 60% of the total rail length in the world. Most of the high speed lines adopt this gauge size.
4. The size of cape gauge is _______
a) 1000 mm
b) 1067 mm
c) 1435 mm
d) 1676 mm
Explanation: Cape gauge which is widely used in Japan, Australia and New Zealand has a size of 1067 mm. The sizes of metre gauge, standard gauge and broad gauge are 1000 mm, 1435 mm and 1676 mm respectively.
5. The narrow gauge is more useful in _____
a) Mountainous and hilly regions
b) Plain areas
c) Desert region
d) Not useful
Explanation: The narrow gauge is superior to broad gauge in hilly regions as the cost of construction is reduced significantly. Also, narrow gauge allows small radius curves to be constructed easily.
6. What is the effect of increasing the gauge distance?
a) Increases the stability of the train
b) Decreases the stability of the train
c) Decreases the cost of construction
d) Decreases the speed of the train
Explanation: A broader gauge increases the speed and stability of the train. The cost of construction is also increased.
7. 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
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.
8. 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
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.
9. 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
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.
10. Metros and monorails in India use ______
a) Broad gauge
b) Metre gauge
c) Standard gauge
d) Narrow gauge
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.