When using railroad identifiable points that include a direction, such as a siding switch, what must be stated?

• A. State and spell direction
• B. State the milepost
• C. Include the track number
• D. Mention the time of day.

Answer: (A)

When your reference includes a direction, you must state that direction and spell it out to prevent ambiguity. Directions such as east, west, north, or south can be misheard or misread over the radio, and there may be multiple entry points around a siding switch. Spelling the direction makes it crystal clear which point is being referred to, reducing the risk of misidentifying the location. Mileposts or track numbers can help locate a point, but they don’t replace the need to specify the direction; time of day is not relevant to pinpointing the location.