How Long Does It Take A Train To Stop (And Why)?

Exact Answer: One To Two Minutes

A train is a type of transport that runs on a railway track and is pulled along with an engine’s help. A train is used to transport passengers or cargo from one place to another. Trains are used for traveling long distances. Earlier stream propulsion engines were used in the trains, but now they have been replaced by Diesel and Electric engines.

The word train has been derived from the Latin word “Trahere”, which means pulling or drawing. Railway tracks are made up of hot-rolled steel and consist of two parallel running rails having a predefined spacing of approximately 1.435 meters.

How Long Does It Take A Train To Stop?

There are many parts of a train, such as train sideboards, roofs, floor panels, cant rails, and many more. All the elements of a train are mostly made up of Steel And Aluminium. The engine drives the train and has all the controls such as speed, handles, and brakes. An Engine is just like a brain of a train. It is vital to maintain the train in a good position because railways are among the most widely used transport facilities.

The train is made up by connecting multiple bogies one after the other. A bogie is a type of wheeled wagon or trolley used by passengers to sit, or goods are placed in bogie for transportation. Different trains serve different purposes. Some trains are only used to carry passengers from one place to another. At the same time, there are particular trains for the transportation of materials like cement and oil. Special Mail Trains run from all parts to transport mails from one place to another.

Freight trains used to carry goods, run at a speed of 24 miles per hour, and stop after one minute. Passenger trains stop in approximately ninety seconds after braking as they are faster than freight trains and run at a speed of 40 miles per hour. Express trains are the quickest and operate at 60 miles per hour and take two minutes to stop.

Why Does It Take A Train That Long To Stop?

A train is cumbersome and is loaded with a lot of weight. It is not very easy to stop a train. A train only stops if there is a red signal. After receiving a red alert, the driver applies the brake, and the train starts to slow down. One of the significant factors that decide how long it will take to stop a train is the train’s speed. The higher the rate of the train, the longer it takes to stop it. After the brakes are applied, trains travel for a mile before stopping completely.

Since the trains operate at a very high rate, the brakes are also applied gradually as applying all the brakes at once will result in derailing the train from the railway tracks that will lead to an accident. Break Delay Time also plays a crucial role in deciding when a train will stop. Break delay time is the engine’s time to receive circuit signals that the brake has been applied.

Different types of trains stop at different time intervals. Historically, steam engines took a longer time to stop than modern engines. After the invention of Diesel or Electric motors, trains take less time to stop. Trains with electric engines are the fastest. Magnetic trains known as Maglev are the latest introduction in the railways.

Conclusion

Trains are one of the most widely used transport worldwide and consist of various sections, most important being the engine. Trains are made up of steel and aluminum and run on railway tracks. There are several trains, namely freight trains, passenger trains, and express trains. Different trains take different times to stop.

On average, it takes the train a period of one to two minutes to stop entirely as all brakes cannot be applied at once. Break Delay Time is also considered while calculating stopping time. The fuel on which the engine runs also plays a crucial role in controlling the train.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261599000041
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00423118008968623