The crew must promptly notify who of the reason for their stop, and the fact that they are not fouling adjacent tracks?

• A. The conductor
• B. The dispatcher
• C. The engineer
• D. The yardmaster

Answer: (B)

When a crew stops, the essential action is to promptly tell the person who controls movement authority—the dispatcher—why you stopped and that you are not fouling adjacent tracks. The dispatcher oversees track occupancy and train permissions, so having that stop reason and occupancy status directly reported lets them assess signals, re-clearances, and any routing for other trains. Saying you’re not fouling adjacent tracks confirms the block is being kept clear and reduces the risk of confusing officials or other movements about who can proceed. The conductor and engineer are on the train and handle on-board safety, but the requirement to notify the dispatcher is about communicating with the person who administers the movement authority. Yardmasters handle yard operations and aren’t the main point of contact for mainline occupancy.