Question

The speed of a passenger train is 18 mph faster than the speed of a freight train. The passenger train travels 270 miles in the same time it takes the freight train to travel 180 miles. Find the speed of each train.

Answer 1

Let the speed of the freight train be 'v mph'
The speed of the passenger train is thus 'v+18 mph'

v=d/t
t=d/v

Therefore, 270/(v+18)=180/v
or, 270v=180v + 3240
or, v=36 mph

Thus the speeds are 36 and 54 mph!