Given above is the schematic map of the metro lines in a city with rectangles denoting terminal stations (e.g. A), diamonds denoting junction stations (e.g. R) and small filled-up circles denoting other stations. Each train runs either in east-west or north-south direction, but not both. All trains stop for 2 minutes at each of the junction stations on the way and for 1 minute at each of the other stations. It takes 2 minutes to reach the next station for trains going in east-west direction and 3 minutes to reach the next station for trains going in northsouth direction. From each terminal station, the first train starts at 6 am; the last trains leave the terminal stations at midnight. Otherwise, during the service hours, there are metro service every 15 minutes in the north-south lines and every 10 minutes in the east-west lines. A train must rest for at least 15 minutes after completing a trip at the terminal station, before it can undertake the next trip in the reverse direction. (All questions are related to this metro service only. Assume that if someone reaches a station exactly at the time a train is supposed to leave, (s)he can catch that train.)
What is the minimum number of trains that are required to provide the service on the AB line (considering both north and south directions)?
Correct Answer: 8
Travel time between A and B = $$\left(10\times3\right)+\left(7\times1\right)+\left(2\times2\right)=41$$ minutes
After completing a journey, a train must rest for 15 minutes at least before starting again.
So if a train starts from 6 am from A to B, then the latest by which that train will start from B to A will be at 7 am, as in the north-south direction, a train starts from A and B every 15 minutes.
So the total no. of trains required = $$\left(\frac{60}{15}\right)\times2=8$$
Create a FREE account and get: