What is the condition for releasing track and time to move in a specified direction?

The condition for releasing track and time to move in a specified direction is fundamentally rooted in ensuring safety and coordination among train crews and operations. Releasing track and time means granting permission to a train to occupy a segment of track while ensuring no conflicting movements are taking place.

The correct answer emphasizes that track and time may only be released if no other employee has received authority in those limits. This rule is critical because it prevents collisions and ensures that only one train at a time has permission to use a particular section of track. This is essential for maintaining orderly and secure train movements in a busy rail yard or along a route where multiple trains may be operating.

The other options, while they might suggest scenarios where movement could occur, do not encapsulate the vital safety condition that protects against simultaneous conflicting movements on the same track section. Understanding this condition is pivotal for a conductor to uphold operational safety standards.