The disclosure relates generally to a system of restoring communication circuits. The system includes an automated circuit switchover system embedded within a telephone central office, a technician terminal for use by telephone network operations personnel, a test and control system coupled to the technician terminal and to the automated circuit switchover system within the telephone central office, and a switchable protection circuit remotely located from the telephone central office and coupled to the telephone central office via a communication link. The switchable protection circuit supports a plurality of active individual communication lines and an unused spare communication line. Each of the active individual communication lines are configured to support communication of traffic from end user subscribers supported by the active individual communications lines connected to the switchable protection circuit and to the telephone central office. The switchable protection circuit is responsive to the test and control system and includes logic to respond to a specific command sent from the test and control system to switch a selected one of the plurality of active individual communication lines to the unused spare communication line and to activate the spare communication line in response to the specific command to support communications traffic over the spare communication line.