Track warrant

Comparison with Direct Traffic Control

Track Warrant Control is similar to yet distinct from the concept of Direct Traffic Control (DTC), appearing later as railroads migrated fully from older forms of train order operation. DTC was designed to facilitate the movement of trains using concepts of blocks and sidings previously used with train orders. DTC is only a mechanism to transfer movement authority and can work only within an arrangement of predefined blocks. Track warrant systems appropriate the remaining responsibility of train order systems to notify operating personnel of safety directives that include things like temporary speed restrictions, tracks out of service, etc. and combines them with the movement authority function of DTC. Furthermore, track warrants are not limited to fixed blocks and can be issued and released from almost any explicitly identified landmark along the rail line.