When players begin expanding their railway system in Factorio, things will quickly get more and more complex. Disaster can be around every bend, as train collisions often have severe consequences for both the vehicle and its cargo.
Learning how to utilize Rail Signals is the best method to organizing one's track-borne empire. Thankfully, despite there being a lot of versatility in usage, Rail Signals in Factorio are pretty easy to use if one thinks of them like traffic lights. After a bit of practice, players should be able to set up a system that works for them and their railway goals.
The Basics Of Using Rail Signals
Directions That Rail Signals Work
Rail Signals need to be placed to the right of a rail to affect it; from the player's perspective, this would mean placing a Rail Signal "in front" of a rail block. The affected rail block will also affect a stretch of rail leading up to it from the left.
To change the permissions and operations of a Rail Signal, players will have to open up its menu and adjust things accordingly.
States Of A Rail Signal
Green lights on a Rail Signal mean that the block currently monitored is empty. The light will only be green if there are no obstructions or trains approaching.
Yellow lights on a Rail Signal mean that a train is approaching. It also signifies that the currently monitored block is being reserved for the first incoming train that triggers it from a distance.
Red lights on a Rail Signal mean that the currently monitored rail is blocked or another nearby Rail Signal is yellow, indicating multiple incoming trains that may collide.
If a Rail Signal is blinking through all available colors, this is an indication that the block it is monitoring is not a rail block.
How To Use Rail Signals For Complex Networks
How & Why To Chain Rail Signals
Placing multiple Rail Signals on the same stretch of the railway can be used to prevent collisions at intersections. For example, if a railway heading to the right was to cross another that is running perpendicularly, there could potentially be issues with other trains getting in the way and causing a collision.
By placing a Rail Signal before this intersection, players can stop the train heading to the right if another train appears on the perpendicular stretch of rail blocks.
How To Avoid Deadlocks
A deadlock is when multiple trains get into a situation where they are blocked by one another. This can happen on complex networks where there are many dead ends or intersections that are poorly organized, though, this issue is the result of trains at least stopping before they crash and explode.
How To Space Signals Effectively
It is important to make sure Rail Signals are spaced far enough apart that trains can pass by without partially lingering on an intersection that will block other trains. A good trick to keep in mind is to give oneself more space than needed so as to not have lengthy trains blocking up important areas.
Factorio is available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.