Train Driver Train 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main function of Automatic Train Protection (ATP)?
- To open and close doors automatically
- To prevent the train exceeding safe speed or passing a danger signal (Correct answer)
- To announce stations to passengers
- To control cabin lighting
Correct answer: To prevent the train exceeding safe speed or passing a danger signal
ATP intervenes to enforce speed limits and stop the train if it risks passing a red signal, improving safety.
Question 2: A driver notices an unusual repeated knocking from the bogies at speed. The best action is to:
- Increase speed to clear the affected section
- Report it and reduce speed as required by the rulebook (Correct answer)
- Ignore it unless smoke appears
- Apply the emergency brake at once regardless of location
Correct answer: Report it and reduce speed as required by the rulebook
Unusual sounds may indicate a defect, so the driver should reduce speed appropriately and report the fault.
Question 3: What does 'wheel slip' refer to, and when is it most common?
- Wheels spinning without traction, common in low-adhesion conditions (Correct answer)
- Wheels detaching from the axle
- A change in track gauge
- The wheels overheating in summer
Correct answer: Wheels spinning without traction, common in low-adhesion conditions
Wheel slip occurs when adhesion is poor, such as with leaves or ice on the rail, causing wheels to spin.
Question 4: During a controlled (planned) stop at a platform, the driver should aim to:
- Stop with the cab beyond the platform end
- Stop within the correct stopping point for the train length (Correct answer)
- Stop short to allow a longer dwell time
- Brake as late and hard as possible
Correct answer: Stop within the correct stopping point for the train length
Accurate stopping aligns all doors with the platform so passengers can board and alight safely.
Question 5: What is a 'wrong-line movement'?
- Driving faster than the speed limit
- Moving a train along a line in the opposite of the normal direction (Correct answer)
- Stopping at the wrong platform
- Coupling to the wrong wagon
Correct answer: Moving a train along a line in the opposite of the normal direction
A wrong-line movement is travel against the normal direction of a line, permitted only under strict authority.
Question 6: Why should a driver avoid harsh braking when not necessary?
- It uses more electricity
- It can cause wheel flats and passenger discomfort or injury (Correct answer)
- It is prohibited at all times by law
- It damages the signalling system
Correct answer: It can cause wheel flats and passenger discomfort or injury
Smooth braking reduces wheel flats from skidding and prevents standing passengers from falling.
Question 7: If radio contact with the signaller is lost, the driver should:
- Continue at full speed to the next station
- Follow the rulebook procedure, typically proceeding with caution and seeking alternative communication (Correct answer)
- Stop the train and wait indefinitely
- Reverse to the previous signal
Correct answer: Follow the rulebook procedure, typically proceeding with caution and seeking alternative communication
Loss of communication is governed by the rulebook, generally requiring caution and an alternative way to contact the signaller.
Train Driver Train 3
What is the main function of Automatic Train Protection (ATP)?