Study Material — 8 PYQs (2022–2022) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
IBPS Clerk Trains is a frequently tested subtopic — 8 previous year questions from 2022–2022 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
8 questions from actual IBPS Clerk papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains are moving towards each other on parallel tracks. Train X has a speed of 45 km/h and Train Y has a speed of 55 km/h. If they are 400 km apart, in how many hours will they meet?
Exam Q 22022Previous Year Pattern
Train A crosses a platform of length 150 m in 20 seconds. If the train's length is 250 m, what is the speed of Train A?
Exam Q 32022Previous Year Pattern
A train of length 180 m passes a stationary pole in 9 seconds. How long will it take to pass another train of length 120 m moving in the opposite direction at the same speed?
Exam Q 42022Previous Year Pattern
Train A and Train B start from the same station at the same time. Train A travels at 60 km/h and Train B travels at 40 km/h in the same direction. After how many hours will Train A be 100 km ahead of Train B?
Exam Q 52022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains start simultaneously from stations P and Q, which are 360 km apart. Train X travels from P to Q at 60 km/h, and Train Y travels from Q to P at 40 km/h. After how many hours will they meet?
Exam Q 62022Previous Year Pattern
A train 200 m long takes 20 seconds to pass a man standing on the platform. How long will it take to cross a bridge that is 400 m long?
Exam Q 72022Previous Year Pattern
Train P and Train Q are 500 m and 300 m long respectively. They are moving in the same direction on parallel tracks at speeds of 72 km/h and 54 km/h respectively. How long will it take for Train P (faster) to completely overtake Train Q?
Exam Q 82022Previous Year Pattern
A train travels 240 km in 4 hours. If it increases its speed by 20%, how much distance will it cover in 5 hours at the new speed?
Concept Notes
Trains— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
Train problems involve calculating time taken by trains to cross objects like poles, platforms, bridges, or other trains. The key is understanding that trains have length, unlike point objects
Key Rules
When a train crosses a stationary object like a pole, it travels a distance equal to its own length. When crossing a platform or bridge, it travels its own length plus the length of the platform/bridge. For two trains, use relative speed concept.
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Time = Distance/Speed
Speed = Distance/Time
Relative Speed (same direction) = |S1 - S2|
Relative Speed (opposite direction) = S1 + S2
Speed conversion: km/hr to m/s multiply by 5/18, m/s to km/hr multiply by 18/5
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 1-2 train problems per paper. Common question types include trains crossing poles, platforms, bridges, and other trains. Questions often involve unit conversions and relative motion.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
- The 5/18 Rule: To convert km/hr to m/s, multiply by 5/18. To convert m/s to km/hr, multiply by 18/5. Remember: 72 km/hr = 20 m/s (this conversion appears frequently).
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Distance covered = Length of train = 120m
2
Step 2
Time taken = 8 seconds
3
Step 3
Speed = Distance/Time = 120/8 = 15 m/s
4
Step 4
Convert to km/hr = 15 × 18/5 = 54 km/hr
Answer: 54 km/hr
Worked Example 2: Two trains of lengths 100m and 150m are running in opposite directions at speeds 40 km/hr and 50 km/hr respectively. In how much time will they cross each other?
Relative speed = 100/9 + 125/9 = 225/9 = 25 m/s (opposite direction, so add)
3
Step 3
Total distance = 100 + 150 = 250m
4
Step 4
Time = Distance/Speed = 250/25 = 10 seconds
Answer: 10 seconds
Advanced Shortcut - Platform Formula: Time to cross platform = (Train length + Platform length)/Speed. This direct formula saves calculation steps in exams.
Most Common Trap: Students forget to add platform/bridge length when train crosses them. They only consider train length, leading to wrong answers. Always read whether the train crosses a pole (only train length) or platform/bridge (train length + platform/bridge length).
Another frequent mistake is wrong unit conversion. Practice the 5/18 conversion thoroughly. Many students confuse when to multiply or divide.
Speed-Distance-Time Shortcut: If train crosses pole in time T1 and platform in time T2, then platform length = speed × (T2 - T1). This eliminates the need to calculate train length first.
A train crosses a stationary object (pole) in 8 seconds and crosses a platform of length 180 m in 20 seconds. What is the length of the train?
Practice 2hard
Train A and Train B start simultaneously from stations X and Y respectively, which are 480 km apart. Train A travels towards Y at 60 km/h, while Train B travels towards X at 40 km/h. After how many hours will they meet, and at what distance from station X?
Practice 3hard
Train X leaves station A at 8:00 AM travelling at 72 km/h. Train Y leaves the same station at 9:30 AM travelling at 90 km/h in the same direction. At what time will Train Y catch up with Train X?
Practice 4hard
A train 150 m long crosses a platform 250 m long in 20 seconds. Another train 120 m long crosses the same platform in 16 seconds. What is the difference in their speeds (in m/s)?
Practice 5hard
A train travels 300 km at a certain speed. If the train had travelled 5 km/h faster, it would have taken 2 hours less. What is the original speed of the train (in km/h)?
60-Second Revision — Trains
Remember: Pole crossing uses only train length, platform crossing adds platform length
Formula: Speed conversion km/hr to m/s multiply by 5/18
Trap: Always check if crossing pole or platform - different distance calculations
Shortcut: 72 km/hr = 20 m/s conversion for quick calculations
Relative speed: Add for opposite direction, subtract for same direction
Two trains: Total distance = Length1 + Length2, use relative speed
Platform trick: Time difference method gives platform length directly