Tips and Tricks to Solve Train Problems

To assist aspirants to prepare for and ace the quantitative aptitude section, given below are a few tips which may help you answer the train problems quicker and more efficiently:

• Always read the question carefully and do not haste in answering it as the train-based questions are usually presented in a complex manner
• Once you read the question, try to apply a formula in them, this will may solution direct and save you some time
• Do not guess if you are not sure. Since there is negative marking in competitive exams, ensure that you do not make assumptions and answer the questions
• Do not over complicate the question and spend too much time on solving it if you are not able to answer
• In case of confusion, you can also refer to the options given in the objective type papers and try finding the answer with the help of options given 

Points to remember

Keep same units for all values mentioned in the problem i.e. as per the units of the given answers convert kilometer per hour (km/hr) to meters per second (m/s) and vice versa. In a similar way, convert meter (m) into centimeter (cm) and vice versa. See the examples given below:

Formula to convert Km/hr into m/s:

• 1km is equal to 1000 meters
• 1 hours is equal to 3600 seconds
• 1Km/hr is equal to meter/sec or m/s

So, to convert a value in Km/hr to m/s, we need to multiply it with  See the example given below:

60 km/hr* = 16.7 m/s

Formula to convert m/s to Km/hr

• 1 meter is equal to 1/1000 km
• 1 sec is equal to 1/3600 hours
• 1 m/s is equal to 

So, to covert a value in m/s to Km/hr, we will multiply it with 18/5. See the example given below:

20 m/s* =72 km/hr

Important facts about moving trains:

1. 1. The distance traveled by a train to cross a pole or person is equal to the length of the train.
   2. The distance traveled by train when it crosses a platform is equal to the sum of the length of the train and length of the platform.
   3. When two trains are travelling in opposite directions at speeds V1 m/s and V2 m/s then their relative speed is the sum of their individual speeds (V1+V2) m/s.
   4. Two trains are travelling in the same direction at V1 m/s and V2 m/s where V1 > V2 then their relative speed will be equal to the difference between their individual speeds (V1-V2) m/s.
   5. When two trains of length X meters and Y meters are moving in opposite direction at V1 m/s and V2 m/s then the time taken by the trains to cross each other is =
   6. When two trains of length X meters and Y meters are moving in same direction at V1 and V2 where V1> V2 then the time taken by the faster train to cross the slower train =
   7. When two trains X and Y start moving towards each other at the same time from points A and B and after crossing each other the train X reaches point B in a seconds and train Y reaches points A in b seconds, then Train X speed: Train Y speed = b^1/2: a^1/2