NORAC Rule 80: Restricted Speed - What are the speed limits imposed by this rule?

• A. Movement must not exceed 20 MPH outside interlocking limits and 15 MPH within interlocking limits
• B. Movement must not exceed 10 MPH outside interlocking limits and 5 MPH within interlocking limits
• C. Movement must not exceed 25 MPH outside interlocking limits and 20 MPH within interlocking limits
• D. Movement must not exceed 30 MPH outside interlocking limits and 25 MPH within interlocking limits

Answer: (A)

Restricted speed is about moving at a pace where you can stop within the distance you can see and be ready to obey signals or stop for any obstruction. In NORAC Rule 80, the specified limits are 20 mph outside interlocking limits and 15 mph within interlocking limits.

This setup gives a safety buffer: outside interlockings you have a bit more visibility and space to react, but you still must be able to stop quickly if something appears. Within interlocking limits, the track environment is more complex—there are signals, switches, and higher risk of conflicting movements—so the speed is lowered to 15 mph to ensure you can stop in time for a signal or to avoid fouling adjacent track.

Other speeds would either be too restrictive for normal operations or too fast to safely stop in constrained areas, which is why the 20 mph outside and 15 mph inside interlocking limits is the correct standard.