Changes

The signaller signalman<ref group="note">Network Rail uses the term "Signaller". The SVR as a preserved railway still uses the GWR/BR era term "Signalman".</ref> sending a train will alert the receiving signaller signalman with the "Call Attention" [[Bell signals|bell signal]], and when he or she responds will, by bell signal, ask "Is the line clear for [this kind of train]", there being different signals for different train types. If the receiving signaller signalman accepts the train, he or she will repeat the signal back, and will reverse the Acceptance Lever. An indication is given in the other signalbox to indicate that this has been done.

Reversing the Acceptance Lever at the receiving end will unlock the signal which allows trains to enter the section of line between the two signalboxes at the sending end. The signaller signalman will clear this signal, which is the only permission that trains need to enter the section. As the train departs, the sending signaller signalman will check it is showing the correct tail lamp at the end of the train, and send the "Train Entering Section" bell signal to the other signallersignalman . During the time that the train is in the section, the signalmen at either end are reminded of its presence by track circuit indications in each signal box, and by either the reversed Acceptance Lever in the receiving signal box or by the associated indication in the sending signal box.

When the train arrives at the second signal box, the signaller signalman will return the Acceptance Lever to the normal position once the train has passed their signal protecting entry to the section in the opposite direction, and send the "Train Out Of Section" bell signal to the sending signalbox. Unlike Electric Train Token working, there is usually no requirement to see the tail lamp before doing this, as the track circuits prove to the signaller signalman that no part of the train has been left behind in the section (although for certain types of non-passenger trains, where the risk of the track circuits falsely showing "Clear" is judged to be higher, the requirement to observe tail lamps is still in place).