Which term denotes the time a train spends in a station for boarding and alighting?

• A. Emergency
• B. Dwell Time
• C. Energize
• D. De-Energize

Answer: (B)

Dwell time is the period a train spends at a station with doors open for passengers to board and alight. It starts when the train arrives and doors open, and ends when the doors close and the train departs. This time is a key part of timetable planning and is adjusted to manage passenger flow, safety, and platform congestion. Longer dwell times help when many people are boarding or when accessibility needs slow movement; shorter dwell times keep trains on schedule. The other terms don’t describe this passenger-related stop duration: emergency relates to urgent safety situations, while energize and de-energize refer to applying or removing electrical power, not how long a train stays at a station.