Western Railroad Discussion > What is a hold point?

On the UP main across Iowa, I encountered several places marked as "hold points." Can someone tell me what they are and their purpose?

CNJ

I think the hold signal concept is similar to other mainlines with block signals. I've noticed that between obvious control points where there are switches, crossovers and block signals only controlled by the dispatcher, there are block signals placed between these points sometimes that are controlled by the dispatcher as well, and are referred to "Control Points", which are usually thought of only at switch points. I think the purpose is to protect blocks where there is a lot of local and yard switching going on or near the mainline, or where the block up ahead could be treacherous for a train to stop, such as on a bridge, or in a tunnel.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.