What action should be taken if communication between crews cannot be established?

In situations where communication between crews cannot be established, ensuring that the switch is properly aligned and locked is vital for maintaining safety. This action helps prevent accidents and ensures that trains can operate safely on the correct tracks, reducing the risk of collisions or derailments.

Properly aligning and locking the switch creates a clear, secure path that has been pre-determined. It confirms that the physical setup of the tracks is safe, even if the crews cannot communicate directly. This is a proactive measure that emphasizes safety and minimizes the risk associated with operational uncertainties.

While pausing all switching operations or reducing speed could be reasoned as safety measures, they may not directly address the immediate concern of maintaining safe track alignment, which is critical in the absence of communication. Notifying the dispatch center is indeed important in many situations; however, it's equally essential to stabilize track conditions immediately to ensure crews can proceed safely once communication is re-established.