Study Material โ 7 PYQs (2022โ2022) ยท Concept Notes ยท Shortcuts
SSC MTS Trains is a frequently tested subtopic โ 7 previous year questions from 2022โ2022 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
7 questions from actual SSC MTS papers ยท all shown free ยท click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12022Previous Year Pattern
A train takes 20 seconds to pass a platform of length 240 m. The same train takes 12 seconds to pass a man standing on the platform. What is the length of the train?
Exam Q 22022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains of equal length cross each other in 18 seconds when moving in opposite directions, and in 36 seconds when moving in the same direction. If each train is 90 m long, what is the speed of the faster train?
A train crosses a 200 m long platform in 20 seconds and crosses a 350 m long platform in 30 seconds. What is the length of the train (in metres)?
Exam Q 42022Previous Year Pattern
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 they meet, Train A takes 4 more hours to reach Y. If Train B continues at the same speed after meeting, how much time (in hours) does Train B take to reach X after the two trains meet?
Exam Q 52022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains start from the same station at different times. Train X departs at 8:00 AM travelling at 60 km/h. Train Y departs at 9:30 AM travelling at 90 km/h on the same route. At what time will Train Y completely overtake Train X (i.e., the rear of Train Y clears the front of Train X)? Assume both trains are 100 m long.
Exam Q 62022Previous Year Pattern
A train crosses a bridge in 45 seconds and a tunnel in 60 seconds. The bridge is 400 m long and the tunnel is 800 m long. If the train crosses a stationary pole in 15 seconds, what is the difference between the lengths of the bridge and tunnel (in metres)?
Exam Q 72022Previous Year Pattern
Two trains, each 150 m long, are running on parallel tracks in the same direction. The faster train travels at 90 km/h and the slower train at 54 km/h. How many seconds does it take for the faster train to completely overtake the slower train?
Concept Notes
Trainsโ Rules & Concept
๐ก
Core Concept
Read this first โ the foundation of the topic
โCore 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
๐กKey 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
๐Essential Formulas
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
๐
Exam Patterns
What examiners ask โ read before attempting PYQs
๐กRemember
72 km/hr = 20 m/s (this conversion appears frequently)
โ๏ธWorked Example 1
1
Distance covered = Length of train = 120m
2
Time taken = 8 seconds
3
Speed = Distance/Time = 120/8 = 15 m/s
4
Convert to km/hr = 15 ร 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
Total distance = 100 + 150 = 250m
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
โMost 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
โกSpeed-Distance-Time Shortcut
If train crosses pole in time T1 and platform in time T2, then platform length = speed ร (T2 - T1). This eliminates the need to calculate train length first.
A train covers 180 metres in 9 seconds. How long will it take to cover 400 metres at the same speed?
Practice 2easy
A train travels 240 km in 4 hours at a constant speed. What is the speed of the train in km/h?
Practice 3easy
A train travels 360 km in 6 hours. If it maintains the same speed, how many kilometres will it cover in 9 hours?
Practice 4easy
A train 150 metres long passes a stationary pole in 5 seconds. What is the speed of the train in km/h?
Practice 5easy
Two trains start from the same station at the same time. Train X travels at 60 km/h and Train Y travels at 40 km/h in the same direction. After 3 hours, what is the distance between them?
Practice 6medium
A train 150 m long is running at 72 km/h. How long will it take to pass a man standing on the platform?
Practice 7medium
Train X (180 m long) and Train Y (120 m long) are moving in the same direction on parallel tracks. Train X travels at 54 km/h and Train Y at 36 km/h. How long will it take Train X to completely overtake Train Y?
Practice 8medium
Two trains start simultaneously from stations X and Y, which are 360 km apart. Train P travels from X to Y at 60 km/h, and Train Q travels from Y to X at 90 km/h. After how many hours will they meet?
60-Second Revision โ 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