What time did the train leave today? Statement I: The train normally leaves on time. Statement II: The scheduled departure time of the train is 14:30 hours.

Introduction / Context:
This data sufficiency question examines the difference between scheduled or typical behaviour and what actually happened on a particular day. We are asked to identify the departure time of the train today. Two statements talk about the normal behaviour of the train and its scheduled departure time. The key idea is to check whether these statements guarantee what happened today, rather than just describing general habits.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We need the actual departure time of the train today.
• Statement I: The train normally leaves on time.
• Statement II: The scheduled departure time is 14:30 hours (2:30 p.m.).
• Normally means usually, but not necessarily always.
• No explicit confirmation is given that today is a normal day with no delays or advances.

Concept / Approach:
In data sufficiency questions, the focus is on certainty. We must know whether the statements guarantee the desired value for today. General tendencies or scheduled times are not enough unless the question explicitly states that today follows the same pattern. Here, we must be careful not to confuse normal behaviour with absolute behaviour. If any different scenario is logically possible, then the data are not sufficient.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider statement I alone. It says that the train normally leaves on time. This describes usual behaviour but does not guarantee that today is one of those normal days. Step 2: Trains can sometimes be delayed or depart early due to many reasons like technical problems, weather or operational constraints. Statement I does not rule out that today might be an exceptional day. Step 3: Therefore, statement I alone is not sufficient to determine the exact departure time of the train today. Step 4: Now consider statement II alone. It gives only the scheduled departure time of 14:30 hours. Step 5: A schedule is a plan, not a guarantee of what actually happened today. The train could have departed exactly at 14:30, earlier, or later, depending on operational conditions. Step 6: Hence, statement II alone is also not sufficient to determine the actual departure time today. Step 7: Now combine both statements. We know that the train normally leaves on time and that the scheduled time is 14:30 hours. Step 8: Even with this information, it is still possible that today is an unusual day. For instance, the train usually leaves exactly at 14:30, but today it may have been delayed to 14:45 or left early at 14:20. Step 9: Since there is no explicit statement that today is a normal day, we cannot definitively assert that today the train left at 14:30. Step 10: Therefore, even together, the statements do not yield the exact departure time today.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine two different scenarios consistent with both statements. In scenario one, today is a normal day and the train leaves at the scheduled time, 14:30. In scenario two, today is not normal, and the train is delayed to 15:00. Both scenarios fit the facts that the train normally leaves on time and that its scheduled time is 14:30, yet they produce different actual departure times for today. Because more than one actual departure time is logically possible, the information is not sufficient to fix a single definitive answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong because normal behaviour does not guarantee today's behaviour. Option b is wrong because a timetable alone does not describe an actual event on a specific day. Option c is wrong because neither statement alone suffices. Option d is wrong because even together the statements still allow for delays or advances today.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often rush to conclude that if a train normally leaves on time and its schedule is known, then it must have left at the scheduled time today. This is a classic example of overextending a general rule to a specific case without confirmation. Another common error in data sufficiency is to treat normal or average behaviour as universal. Always ask whether the information rules out exceptional cases. If not, then the information is insufficient to determine what actually happened today.

Final Answer:
The exact departure time of the train today cannot be determined from the given statements. Correct option: Even using both statements I and II together, the data are not sufficient to answer the question.