The "simple" autoreversing approach is sufficient for many railways. Sometimes, there is a need to use power management to allow trains in one section to continue to run even if there is a derailed train causing a short on another.

The autorverser is not a power manager. An autoreverser will clear a short caused by a train entering or leaving the reverse loop. But if a train derails in the reverse loop at shorts, the autoreverser will "chatter" until the booster short circuit trip is activated.  If power management is needed, then it is necessary to cascade a power manager and then an autoverser in the power feed.

autoreversing_2

Some railways need block detection, to identify if a track block is occupied. Block detectors can be used AFTER the autoreverser, to detect trains in several positions along that track.