Abstract: The present invention provides an efficient recovery mechanism when a toll switch within a telephone network is inoperative. A telephone network management operating system and a network manager determines that a toll switch is sufficiently inoperative and invokes a trunk group reconfiguration mechanism. A cross connect system, such as a DCS (Digital Cross-connect System), links the toll-completing trunk groups coming into such an inoperative toll switch to intertoll trunk groups coming into such a toll switch. In this manner, an alternative toll switch within the telephone network replaces the inoperative toll switch for such toll-completing trunk groups thereby restoring operation to customers previously tied to the inoperative toll switch in an efficient and low-cost manner by using already existing components within the telephone network.