If a train clears a block at a hand-operated switch and the switch has been restored, the dispatcher must be informed that it is now reported clear as a direct result of which statement?

If a train clears a block at a hand-operated switch and the switch has been restored, the dispatcher must be informed that it is now reported clear as a direct result of which statement?

• A. The block is clear to proceed
• B. Reported clear to the Dispatcher
• C. The train has entered the next block
• D. The block release is complete

Answer: (B)

In NORAC communications, after a train clears a block and any hand-operated switch has been restored, the formal notification to the dispatcher is that the block is reported clear. This phrase communicates definitively to the dispatcher that the block is now free and has been verified as clear, allowing the dispatcher to authorize the next movement. The other phrasings don’t convey this formal status to the dispatcher. Saying the block is clear to proceed describes what the crew might do next rather than the required dispatcher communication. Noting that the train has entered the next block shifts attention to the following block’s occupancy, not the previous one’s status. And calling the block release complete describes a procedural step, not the specific report to the dispatcher that the block is now officially clear. So, the correct statement to use is that the block is reported clear to the Dispatcher.

In NORAC communications, after a train clears a block and any hand-operated switch has been restored, the formal notification to the dispatcher is that the block is reported clear. This phrase communicates definitively to the dispatcher that the block is now free and has been verified as clear, allowing the dispatcher to authorize the next movement.

The other phrasings don’t convey this formal status to the dispatcher. Saying the block is clear to proceed describes what the crew might do next rather than the required dispatcher communication. Noting that the train has entered the next block shifts attention to the following block’s occupancy, not the previous one’s status. And calling the block release complete describes a procedural step, not the specific report to the dispatcher that the block is now officially clear.

So, the correct statement to use is that the block is reported clear to the Dispatcher.