The speed of the local train is 48 mph and the speed of the express train is 60 mph. The speed is in miles per hour, so we need to express the times in hours, too, in order for the units to be the sam...The speed of the local train is 48 mph and the speed of the express train is 60 mph. The speed is in miles per hour, so we need to express the times in hours, too, in order for the units to be the same. The equation will come from the fact that the distance from Katie Mae’s home to her school is the same whether she is walking or riding her bike. By looking at the diagram below, we can see that the sum of the distance driven in the city and the distance driven in the desert is 255 miles.