2. Rail Transport
1. The railways in India were first opened in –
(a) 1853
(b) 1854
(c) 1855
(d) 1859
[44th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (a) 1853
- During Lord Dalhousie’s time in office, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) created the nation’s first railway.
- It opened on 16 April 1853 and ran between Bombay and Thane.
- The train went a distance of 34 km from Boribandar station (in Mumbai) to Thane
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2. When was the first railway line opened in India and between which stations?
(a) Between Delhi-Agra in 1854
(b) Between Bombay and Pune in 1853
(c) Between Bombay and Thane in 1853
(d) None of these
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (c) Between Bombay and Thane in 1853
- When Lord Dalhousie was in charge, the first railway in the country was constructed by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR).
- It was opened on April 16th, 1853, going from Bombay to Thane.
- The train went a total of 34 kilometres from Boribandar station (Mumbai) to Thane.
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3. The first railway line in India was started in the year –
(a) 1856
(b) 1853
(c) 1856
(d) 1855
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (b) 1853
- Dalhousie started the first railway line on April 16th, 1853, which ran from Mumbai to Thane.
- The train was made up of 14 carriages and was pulled by three locomotives called Sahib, Sindh and Sultan
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4. The width between two rails of Broad gauge is –
(a) 6 1/2 ft
(b) 5 1/2 ft
(c) 5 ft
(d) 4 1/2 ft
[38th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (b) 5 1/2 ft
- Indian Railway uses three types of gauges :
-
- Meter gauge – The distance between two bars is 1 metre or 1000 mm.
- Broad gauge – The distance between two bars is 1.676 meters or 1676 mm.
- Narrow gauge – The distance between two bars is 610 mm.
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5. The shortest rail route of Mumbai from Gorakhpur runs through –
(a) Agra
(b) Allahabad
(c) Jhansi
(d) Delhi
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]
Ans. (b) Allahabad
- By looking at the rail map of India, it is evident that the fastest way to get from Mumbai to Gorakhpur is through Allahabad (Prayagraj).
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6. The Rail Ministry of India has a plan to introduce bullet trains between :
(a) Mumbai – Ahmedabad
(b) Mumbai – Hyderabad
(c) Mumbai – New Delhi
(d) Mumbai – Pune
[U.P.U.D.A. / L.D.A. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (a) Mumbai – Ahmedabad
- Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, gave his approval for a Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in 2004.
- Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) made a proposal for the project in 2015.
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7. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Railway Zone Headquarters
(a) North-Eastern Railway : Gorakhpur
(b) South-Eastern Railway : Bhubaneshwar
(c) Eastern Railway : Kolkata
(d) South-East Central Railway : Bilaspur
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (b) South-Eastern Railway : Bhubaneshwar
- The South-Eastern Railway’s headquarters is in Kolkata, while the Eastern Coastal Railway’s headquarters is in Bhubaneswar. Therefore, option (b) is incorrect.
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8. The headquarters of South-Eastern Railway is –
(a) Nagpur
(b) Bilaspur
(c) Hyderabad
(d) Kolkata
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (d) Kolkata
- The South Eastern Railway’s headquarters are located in Garden Reach, Kolkata.
- This is the area where all of the administrative and purchasing decisions for the entire zone are made.
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9. Consider the following statements concerning the Indian Railways:
1. The headquarters of the North Western Railway are located at Jodhpur.
2. ‘Indrail pass’ – a travel-as-you-please ticket has been created especially for freedom fighters and sportspersons who have represented India in any game/sport.
3. Fairy Queen is a train using the world’s oldest working engines and the Indian Railways conduct a journey of wildlife and heritage sites on it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) None
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (b) 3 only
- The headquarters of North-Western Railway is in Jaipur, not Jodhpur, so statement (1) is wrong.
- The ‘Indrail pass’ provides good value for money and makes trips from abroad more enjoyable.
- It allows foreign visitors and NRI’s to travel anywhere on the railway without any route restrictions during its validity.
- Statement (3) is true because the Fairy Queen is the oldest steam locomotive still working, built in 1855.
- It was renovated in 1996 and started running again in 1997. So, option (b) is the correct answer.
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10. The Railway Zone Headquater Hajipur is located in –
(a) Chhattisgarh
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Jharkhand
(d) Bihar
[48th to 52nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (d) Bihar
- Railways in Bihar began in 1860-62 when the East India Company built rail lines from the Ganges River to Kolkata.
- In 2015-16, the total railway line in Bihar was 3730.57 km.
- Now, Indian Railways are divided into 17 zones, with the East Central Railway located in Hajipur.
- he East Central Railway started working on October 1, 2002. Of the 17 railway zones in India, 5 of them pass through Bihar.
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11. Where is the Headquarters of the North-Central Railway Zone situated?
(a) Allahabad
(b) Jabalpur
(c) Bhopal
(d) Delhi
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]
Ans. (a) Allahabad
- The North Central Railway is based in Prayagraj (Allahabad).
- It was officially established on April 1, 2003. The headquarters of the North Railway Zone is in New Delhi and the headquarters of the Western Central Railway Zone is in Jabalpur.
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12. Even though the Railways are the most pervasive mode of transport in India, it is road transport which received the maximum impetus in most of the post-independence period. Which of the following are the reasons for this?
1. Railways are cheap to operate but the associated capital costs are very high.
2. Given the geographic spread of human settlements, it is unrealistic that the railways alone can serve the needs of transport.
3. The per unit (tonne/km) cost of transport is cheaper on the road compared to rail transport.
4. Given the indivisible nature of the Railways, it is not always convenient for the population to avail it with the same ease as private cars, buses or two-wheelers.
Select the correct answer by using codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (b) 1, 2 and 4
- The cost of transporting things by road is not lower than by rail. Therefore, statement 3 is wrong. The other statements are correct.
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13. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below :
List- I List- II
A. Rail Coach Factory 1. Bangalore
B. Wheel and Axle Plant 2. Perambur
C. Diesel Locomotive Works 3. Kapurthala
D. Integral Coach Factory 4. Varanasi
Code :
A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4
(b) 4 3 2 1
(c) 1 3 4 2
(d) 3 1 4 2
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (d) 3 1 4 2
- The correct match of lists mentioned in the question is as follows:
- Rail Coach Factory – Kapurthala
- Wheel and Axle Plant – Bangaluru
- Diesel Locomotive Works – Varanasi
- Integral Coach Factory – Perambur
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14. The Diesel Rail Locomotive is manufactured at –
(a) Chittaranjan
(b) Manduadih
(c) Jamshedpur
(d) Perambur
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (b) Manduadih
- Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (Chittaranjan) – Electric locomotive- 1950
- Diesel Locomotive Works (Manduadih, Varanasi) – Diesel Electric locomotive, 1961
- Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd. (Jamshedpur) – Steam Locomotive-1948
- Integral Coach Factory (Perambur, Chennai) – Rail Coaches-1955
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer. |
15. Which of the following groups of states where passenger rail coaches are manufactured widely?
(a) Punjab & Tamil Nadu
(b) Odisha & West Bengal
(c) Tamil Nadu & West Bengal
(d) West Bengal & Punjab
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (a) Punjab & Tamil Nadu
- Kapurthala in Punjab and Perambur in Tamil Nadu are the two states that make a lot of passenger rail coaches.
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16. Where is the Railway Staff College located?
(a) Madras
(b) Vadodara
(c) Allahabad
(d) Hyderabad
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1991]
Ans. (b) Vadodara
- The National Academy of Indian Railways (formerly known as the Railway Staff College) is a training center located in Vadodara for Group A and B officers of the Indian Railway.
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17. In which industry is Sal Wood used mostly?
(a) Paper
(b) Matches
(c) Kaththa
(d) Railway Sleepers
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995]
Ans. (d) Railway Sleepers
- The sal tree produces wood that is very tough, dense, and brown in color.
- The wood is also very resilient, which is why it is used to make railway sleepers.
- In Malaya, ships are also constructed from sal wood.
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18. The third rail coach factory is being established at
(a) Amethi
(b) Raibareli
(c) Champaran
(d) Kapurthala
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Pre) 1995]
Ans. (b) Raibareli
- A new train factory is being built in Raibareli, India.
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19. On which rail section the first CNG train was launched?
(a) Delhi – Agra section
(b) Rohtak – Chandigarh section
(c) Delhi – Chandigarh section
(d) Rewari – Rohtak section
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (d) Rewari – Rohtak section
- The first train that runs on a combination of diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) was started on the Rewari-Rohtak section of the Northern Zone.
- This new type of train will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of diesel used.
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20. Which of the following States became the first State where the railway track was made on the PPP model?
(a) Kerala
(b) Gujarat
(c) Karnataka
(d) Maharashtra
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (b) Gujarat
- Gujarat was the first state to use the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to build a railway track.
- This track, called the Gandhidham–Tuna–Tekra rail line, was made by Kandla Port Trust and finished on 14 July 2015.
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21. Which one of the following statements is not true of the Konkan Railway?
(a) The total length is about 760 km.
(b) It runs through the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Keralav
(c) It is the only rail route that cuts across the Western Ghats
(d) The Konkan Railway Construction Company which came into being raised money through Public Issues.
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (b) It runs through the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Keralav
- The Konkan Railway runs from Roha in Maharashtra to Mangalore in Karnataka.
- It links Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
- It is 760.1 kilometres long and goes along the Arabian Sea coast in the three states.
- Even though it does not go to Kerala, it is still useful for people travelling from Kerala to the other states.
- The other facts are true.
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22. The Konkan Railway connects:
(a) Mumbai to Manmad
(b) Roha to Mangalore
(c) Mangalore to Kochi
(d) Mumbai to Pune
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (b) Roha to Mangalore
- The Konkan Railway starts in Roha, Maharashtra and ends in Mangalore, Karnataka.
- It links Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka together.
- This railway line is 760.1 km and runs along the Arabian Sea.
- It does not go into Kerala, but it is still helpful to people from Kerala since they can use it to get to Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka easily. All other facts are true.
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23. Which one of the following sets of states benefits the most from the Konkan Railway?
(a) Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra
(b) Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
(c) Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra
(d) Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1998]
Ans. (a) Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra
- Konkan Railway was created with the help of three states: Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
- These states, along with Kerala, get the most advantages from this railway.
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24. Konkan Railway does not connect :
(a) Belgaum
(b) Madgaon
(c) Ratnagiri
(d) Udupi
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (a) Belgaum
- The Konkan Railway does not go to Belgaum, but it does go to Madgaon, Ratnagiri and Udupi.
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25. Which of the railway connecting the following two stations has been recognised as heritage railway line by UNESCO?
(a) Siliguri and Darjeeling
(b) Allahabad and Varanasi
(c) Mumbai and Thane
(d) Amritsar and Ludhiana
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (a) Siliguri and Darjeeling
- Three railways in India have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal (Northeast India), the Nilgiri Mountain Railways in Tamil Nadu (South India), and the Kalka-Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh (Northwest India).
- These railways are all located in the hills of the Himalayas.
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26. Which one of the following states is deprived of rail service in India?
(a) Tripura
(b) Meghalaya
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Mizoram
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (b) Meghalaya
- In November 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first ever train from Mendipathar, Meghalaya to Guwahati.
- He also unveiled a plaque for a new railway line from Bhairabi to Sairang.
- This means that the railway now covers all Indian states apart from Sikkim.
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27. Which one of the following numbered Rajdhani trains covers the longest distance?
(a) 12429 Bangalore City Junction
(b) 12431 Trivandrum Central
(c) 12433 Chennai Central
(d) 12435 Dibrugarh Town
[53rd to 55th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2011]
Ans. (b) 12431 Trivandrum Central
- The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train (12431/32) is the longest-distance train, running from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin, a 3,149 km journey.
- The Dibrugarh Town train covers 2459
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28. What is the correct sequence of the following rail tunnels by a length in descending order?
(a) Pir Panjal, Karbude, Nathuwadi, Berdewadi
(b) Karbudi, Pir Panjal, Nathuwadi, Berdewadi
(c) Berdewadi, Nathuwadi, Pir Panjal, Karbude
(d) Nathuwadi, Berdewadi, Karbudem, Pir Panjal
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]
Ans. (a) Pir Panjal, Karbude, Nathuwadi, Berdewadi
- The correct sequence of the following rail tunnels by length in descending order is as follows –
- Pir Panjal rail tunnel – 11 km
- Karbude rail tunnel – 6.5 km
- Nathuwadi rail tunnel – 4.3 km
- Berdewadi rail tunnel – 4 km.
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