What is an Auxiliary Track?

What is an Auxiliary Track?

• A. A ramp on each end of the platform used for boarding and alighting passengers with mobility impairments.
• B. A track other than a main track.
• C. A device affixed to the top of an LRV used to conduct electric power from the overhead contact wire.
• D. A structure at the end of track placed to prevent rail vehicles from running off the track.

Answer: (B)

An auxiliary track is a secondary line that runs separate from the main track and is used for storing or moving trains without occupying the main route. This makes it possible to hold trains, let others pass, or perform yard operations without interrupting service on the primary track. The other descriptions don’t fit because they refer to features that aren’t tracks: a ramp at the platform for boarding is an accessibility feature, a device on top of a streetcar to draw power is a pantograph or trolley pole, and a structure at the end of a track to prevent vehicles from running off is a bumper block or derail, not an auxiliary track.

An auxiliary track is a secondary line that runs separate from the main track and is used for storing or moving trains without occupying the main route. This makes it possible to hold trains, let others pass, or perform yard operations without interrupting service on the primary track.

The other descriptions don’t fit because they refer to features that aren’t tracks: a ramp at the platform for boarding is an accessibility feature, a device on top of a streetcar to draw power is a pantograph or trolley pole, and a structure at the end of a track to prevent vehicles from running off is a bumper block or derail, not an auxiliary track.