Factorio – How-To: Train Signals

Train Signals Tips

For starters don’t try to learn train signals on 2-ways tracks, it’s one of the most complex thing to properly use signals on, making it very bad for learning.

You’ll want rails to come in pairs, each handling one direction.

Once that is done, signals are in fact pretty simple to learn as long as you follow a few rules.

1. Train signals work on the right hand side of the train’s direction, like train stop. If there is no signal on the opposite side it makes the rail 1-way (most likely cause of your no path).
2. Right before an intersection (and throughout that intersection if you want to put signals there), use chain signals.
3. If the space between the end of the intersection and the next intersection is too small to fit a full train, the whole thing counts as a single intersection.
4. Right after an intersection, use standard train signals to “end” the chain.
5. On long portions between intersections, use standard train signals at regular intervals to allow several trains to follow each other.

That’s really all there is to learning train signals.

2-ways rails are more complex because any 2-ways portion counts as an intersection.

Of course, when you want your intersections to allow a higher throughput you’ll need to study how blocks, path reservation and chain signals work together but that’s a relatively advanced stuff that you can do without for quite a while.