Explanation:

Railway Gauge:

(i) The clear horizontal distance between the inner faces of the two rails forming a track is known as a Railway Gauge.

(ii) The distance between the inner faces of a pair of wheels is called the wheel gauge.

Types of Gauges in India

In India the following gauges are used:

• Standard Gauge or Broad Gauge: Gauge width 1.676 m.
• Metre/Meter Gauge (M.G): Gauge width 1.000 m.
• Narrow Gauge (N.G): Gauge width 0.672 m.
• Feeder Track Gauge or Light Gauge: Gauge width 0.610 m.

Advantages of Uniform Gauge:

The use of a uniform gauge has the following advantages:

• The delay cost and hardship in shifting passengers and goods from the vehicle of one gauge to the other are avoided.  
• Labour expenses of shifting are saved.  
• Breakage of goods due to shifting is avoided.  
• The possibility of thefts and misplacement during the shifting operation is eliminated.  
• Large sheds to store goods are not required.  
• Labour strikes etc. do not affect the service and operation of trains.   
• Wagons can be efficiently used on all the tracks if the gauge is uniform.  
• Locomotives can be effectively used on all the tracks if a uniform gauge is adopted.  
• During military movement, no time is wasted in shifting personnel and equipment if the gauge is uniform.  
• Duplication of equipment such as platforms, sanitary arrangements, etc is avoided.  

Factors Affecting Adopting of a Particular Gauge

The following factors govern the choice of different gauges:

• Cost of construction and funds available for the railway project.
• Volume and nature of traffic. 
• The intensity of the population.
• Industrial and commercial development of the locality.
• Prospects of future development of the area.
• Topographical and geological features of the country.
• Speed of movement required.