Trains Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
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- Which locomotive won the Rainhill Trials in 1829, marking the rise of steam traction?
- A. The Rocket
- B. The Perseverance
- C. The Sans Pareil
- D. The Novelty
- In which year was the American transcontinental railroad completed with the driving of the "Golden Spike" at Promontory Summit?
- A. 1879
- B. 1859
- C. 1889
- D. 1869
- Which legendary train, launched in 1883, linked Paris to Constantinople (Istanbul), offering unprecedented luxury to travellers?
- A. The Blue Train
- B. The Orient Express
- C. The Trans-Siberian Railway
- D. The Flying Scotsman
- Which Austrian railway line, opened in 1854 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is considered the first major mountain railway?
- A. The Bernina Express
- B. The Arlberg line
- C. The Gotthard line
- D. The Semmering Railway
- Which major 19th-century French railway company served a route linking Paris to Lyon and Marseille, hence its name?
- A. The Compagnie de l'Est
- B. The Compagnie du Nord
- C. The PLM company (Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean)
- D. The Compagnie du Midi
- Which Chinese railway, reaching over 5,000 metres at the Tanggula Pass, is the highest railway line in the world, with cabins pressurised like an aircraft?
- A. The Trans-Siberian Railway
- B. The Karakoram railway
- C. The Qinghai-Tibet railway
- D. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway
- Which Swiss railway tunnel, opened in 2016 and 57 km long, is the longest railway tunnel in the world?
- A. The Simplon Tunnel
- B. The Lötschberg Tunnel
- C. The Mont Cenis Tunnel
- D. The Gotthard Base Tunnel
- Which tunnel, opened in 1994, links France to the United Kingdom, running under the sea for nearly 38 km?
- A. The Channel Tunnel
- B. The Øresund Tunnel
- C. The Gotthard Tunnel
- D. The Seikan Tunnel
- Which Scottish railway bridge, crossing the Firth of Forth, is famous for its red cantilever structure completed in 1890?
- A. The Tay Bridge
- B. The Severn Bridge
- C. The Menai Bridge
- D. The Forth Bridge
- What event on May 10, 1869 marked the completion of the first American transcontinental railroad, symbolised by a final golden spike driven at Promontory Summit?
- A. The California Gold Rush
- B. The signing of the Pacific Railway Act
- C. The Battle of Little Bighorn
- D. The Golden Spike ceremony
- Which metal device, fitted to the front of Wild West locomotives, was used to push aside animals or obstacles on the track?
- A. The steering bogie
- B. The front buffer
- C. The cowcatcher
- D. The smoke deflector
- Which large animal, hunted en masse in the 19th century partly because of the expansion of the railroad, saw its numbers collapse on the American Great Plains?
- A. The American bison
- B. The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
- C. The white-tailed deer
- D. The pronghorn antelope
- Which type of traction progressively replaced steam in the 20th century before itself being challenged by electric traction on main lines?
- A. Gas traction
- B. Diesel traction
- C. Hydraulic traction
- D. Compressed-air traction
- Which railway safety system, dividing the track into electrically monitored sections, prevents two trains from running too close together on the same stretch of track?
- A. The ERTMS system
- B. Regenerative braking
- C. The block system
- D. Automatic coupling
- Which physical principle, eliminating contact between the train and the rails, is used by trains such as the Shanghai Maglev?
- A. Hydraulic propulsion
- B. Jet propulsion
- C. Magnetic levitation
- D. Air-cushion lift
- Which coupling system, still uncommon on classic European passenger trains but widespread on some metros and American trains, automatically links two railcars without human intervention?
- A. The draw hook
- B. The central buffer
- C. Automatic coupling
- D. Screw coupling
- What is the maximum speed reached in regular commercial service by the Shanghai Maglev, linking Pudong airport to the city centre?
- A. 460 km/h
- B. 603 km/h
- C. 250 km/h
- D. 320 km/h
- Which track gauge, used notably in India, is wider than standard gauge and theoretically allows greater stability at high speed?
- A. Indian broad gauge (1,676 mm)
- B. Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
- C. Irish gauge (1,600 mm)
- D. Metre gauge
- Which year saw the launch of Japan's Shinkansen service, the world's first commercial high-speed train?
- A. 1981
- B. 1990
- C. 1975
- D. 1964
- What colour were the first TGVs put into service in 1981?
- A. Blue
- B. Orange
- C. White and red
- D. Green
Answer key — Trains Quiz
- A. The RocketDesigned by George and Robert Stephenson, the Rocket won the Rainhill Trials in 1829 thanks to its multi-tube boiler, becoming the model for future locomotives.
- D. 1869On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific companies joined their tracks at Promontory Summit, Utah, completing the first American transcontinental railroad.
- B. The Orient ExpressThe Orient Express, launched in 1883 by the International Sleeping-Car Company, became a symbol of luxury travel and inspired countless works of fiction.
- D. The Semmering RailwayThe Semmering Railway, completed in 1854 in Austria, was the first major line built across high mountains and remains a masterpiece of 19th-century engineering.
- C. The PLM company (Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean)The Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Railway Company (PLM) was one of the great historic French railway companies, before the creation of the SNCF in 1938.
- C. The Qinghai-Tibet railwayThe Qinghai-Tibet railway reaches 5,072 metres at the Tanggula Pass; carriages are pressurised and oxygen-enriched for passenger comfort.
- D. The Gotthard Base TunnelThe Gotthard Base Tunnel, completed in 2016 in Switzerland, is about 57 km long and lets trains cross the Alps at low altitude, without climbing a pass.
- A. The Channel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel), opened in 1994, links Coquelles in France to Folkestone in England over about 50 km, of which 38 km run under the sea.
- D. The Forth BridgeThe Forth Bridge, completed in 1890 in Scotland, is one of the first great steel cantilever bridges in the world and remains a symbol of Victorian engineering.
- D. The Golden Spike ceremonyOn May 10, 1869, a final golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, to celebrate the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific tracks.
- C. The cowcatcherThe cowcatcher is the angled grille-like structure fitted to the front of locomotives to deflect bison and stray cattle wandering onto the tracks.
- A. The American bisonThe construction of the transcontinental railroad facilitated mass bison hunting, and the once-immense herds of the Great Plains were nearly wiped out within a few decades.
- B. Diesel tractionAfter the Second World War, diesel traction largely replaced steam, before electrification took over on many main lines.
- C. The block systemThe block system divides a line into sections; a signal prevents a train from entering a section already occupied, guaranteeing a safe spacing.
- C. Magnetic levitationMaglev trains use powerful magnetic fields to make the train levitate above the track, removing mechanical friction and enabling very high speeds.
- C. Automatic couplingUnlike screw coupling still used on many classic European trains, automatic coupling connects and disconnects railcars without an operator having to intervene manually.
- A. 460 km/hThe Shanghai Maglev, in service since 2004, reaches up to 460 km/h in commercial operation over its roughly 30 km route, making it the fastest commercial train in the world.
- A. Indian broad gauge (1,676 mm)India mostly uses a broad gauge of 1,676 mm, wider than the international standard gauge of 1,435 mm, offering greater stability for heavy trains.
- D. 1964Japan's Shinkansen was launched in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming the very first commercial high-speed train system in the world.
- B. OrangeThat bright orange livery left its mark on a whole generation.