Pocket signals: Which describes the end protections?

• A. West end is protected by a westbound low home; east end has a bumping block
• B. West end protected by a high signal; east end by a color light
• C. West end protected by a stop signal; east end by a red flag
• D. There is no signaling at the pocket

Answer: (A)

End protections in pocket signaling are about safeguarding movements at both ends of a pocket so trains don’t foul the main line or collide. The west end is controlled by a signaling device—the westbound low home acts as the entry control. It shows a restrictive aspect when the pocket isn’t clear or when a westbound movement isn’t authorized, preventing entry into the pocket from that end.

On the east end, a bumping block provides a physical boundary. Even if a train were to move toward the pocket or if signaling were to fail, the bumping block stops the train, keeping it from leaving the pocket onto the main line.

This combination—a signaling protection at one end and a fixed physical stop at the other—is what describes end protections for a pocket. Other options don’t align with how end protections are typically implemented, since they either rely only on signaling without a fail-safe physical stop or propose signaling methods that don’t provide the same boundary protection.