PTS Critical Communications 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which flag color signals that workers must immediately clear the track because a train is approaching?
- Yellow
- Green
- Red (Correct answer)
- Blue
Correct answer: Red
A red flag or signal indicates an emergency stop or that the track must be immediately cleared, depending on the context within the PTS system.
Question 2: A dispatcher issues a track bulletin restricting speed in a work zone. Which party is responsible for informing train crews of this restriction?
- The gang foreman must radio each train crew individually
- The dispatcher communicates the track bulletin to train crews through established railroad operating procedures (Correct answer)
- The roadway worker nearest the track must flag each train
- The maintenance-of-way supervisor must post signs at each end
Correct answer: The dispatcher communicates the track bulletin to train crews through established railroad operating procedures
Dispatchers communicate track bulletins, slow orders, and other restrictions to train crews through the railroad's standard operating bulletin system.
Question 3: What must a work group do before beginning any track work after an unplanned interruption (e.g., equipment breakdown, personnel change)?
- Resume work immediately since authority is still valid
- Conduct a job safety briefing to re-establish on-track safety and confirm all workers understand current protection (Correct answer)
- Wait 15 minutes before resuming as a standard cooldown
- Contact the dispatcher only if the interruption exceeded one hour
Correct answer: Conduct a job safety briefing to re-establish on-track safety and confirm all workers understand current protection
Any significant interruption requires a safety briefing to re-confirm the method of on-track protection and ensure all workers — including any newcomers — understand the current safety status.
Question 4: What does 'fouling the track' mean in PTS communications?
- Contaminating the ballast with chemicals
- Any person, equipment, or material positioned close enough to be struck by a passing train (Correct answer)
- Operating a motor vehicle within the right-of-way without authorization
- Using an unauthorized radio frequency in a work zone
Correct answer: Any person, equipment, or material positioned close enough to be struck by a passing train
Fouling the track means being within the danger zone — the minimum clearance distance — where a passing train or its load could make contact.
Question 5: Under PTS rules, when does a gang foreman's track authority expire?
- At the end of the workday automatically
- When the authority time limit or track limits are reached, whichever comes first, or when formally released
- When the train dispatcher calls to check in (Correct answer)
- After every two hours regardless of work status
Correct answer: When the train dispatcher calls to check in
Authority expires at the limits specified — either the time, milepost limits, or when the foreman formally releases it to the dispatcher, whichever occurs first.
Question 6: If a roadway worker's radio battery fails during work and no backup is available, what is required?
- The worker may continue if they are within sight of the lookout
- Work must cease and the worker must clear the track until communications are restored (Correct answer)
- Another worker can relay messages on their behalf
- The worker can use their personal cell phone for dispatcher calls
Correct answer: Work must cease and the worker must clear the track until communications are restored
Reliable communication is a fundamental component of on-track safety; a dead radio removes a critical protective layer and requires work stoppage.
Question 7: What is a 'train approach warning' in PTS terminology?
- A horn blast by any vehicle in the work zone
- Advance notice provided to roadway workers that a train will enter or is approaching the work area (Correct answer)
- A yellow flag placed 1,000 feet from the work site
- A mandatory 10-minute pre-shift radio check with the dispatcher
Correct answer: Advance notice provided to roadway workers that a train will enter or is approaching the work area
A train approach warning is advance notice given to workers — via lookout, radio, or signal device — that a train is approaching so they have time to clear the track.
PTS Critical Communications 4
Which flag color signals that workers must immediately clear the track because a train is approaching?