What action should be taken if a track warrant expires before the movement is completed?

• A. Stop the train within the authority and the dispatcher should issue a new or extended warrant before continuing.
• B. Continue at reduced speed until completion.
• C. Ignore expiration and proceed.
• D. Contact the supervisor to authorize continuation.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that a track warrant only provides legal protection to occupy and move within its limits for its valid period. If the warrant expires before you finish the movement, you no longer have that protection. The proper action is to stop the train within the current authority and have the dispatcher issue a new or extended warrant before you continue. This keeps you legally protected and ensures there’s an authoritative authorization to proceed.

Continuing at reduced speed won’t restore protection once the warrant has expired, and ignoring expiration or proceeding without authorization is unsafe and against procedure. While contacting a supervisor might be appropriate in some broader contexts, the standard immediate step is to reach the dispatcher, who issues or extends warrants to reestablish movement authority.