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Train stop

2026-03-13T22:27:41Z

Pikmario: Added info on priority for departing trains.

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Train stop}}

'''Train stops''' are used to automate item transportation by trains by providing nameable locations for trains to travel to. Like [[locomotive]]s, the color of the stops can be customized. Furthermore, the stop can be named, with [[rich text]] making it possible to further customize the name, such as by adding item icons.

== Mechanics ==
Train stops are used to denote a place for a train to stop. Every placed train stop will appear as a possible stop in the scheduling area of a [[Railway#Train_schedule|train]]'s GUI. This can be used to create loading and unloading stations for trains.

When there are multiple train stops with the same name, trains will always travel to the closest stop. "Closest" in this case does not mean rail distance, instead the [[Railway/Train_path_finding|pathfinding distance]] is used. This distance is influenced by trains on the track, in addition to rail distance, so empty train stops are preferred over occupied ones if the empty stop is not too far away.

Opening the GUI of a stop will show the information of every train connected to that stop, including its name, current activity and location on the map. Additionally, it is possible to set a train limit for train stops via their GUI or with the circuit network. Only the set amount of trains may reserve the train stop as their destination when trying to path to it. If the train limit is lowered below the amount of trains that currently have the stop reserved as their destination, those trains will continue to go to the stop.[https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-361]

Trains will attempt to avoid routes that pass through stops that are not designated as the next destination. This is represented by a penalty to the pathfinding distance, which usually forces a train to pick a "shorter" path.

== Circuit Network ==
Train stops can be enabled or disabled using the [[circuit network]]. When a train stop is disabled, trains will not go to that station. If a train is scheduled to go to a stop that is disabled, it will select a stop with the same name which is enabled. If no such stops exist, the train will enter the "destination full" state and wait until a stop becomes enabled again. If a train is en-route or already parked at a stop when it becomes disabled, the train will continue to the stop and complete its wait conditions.

When a train attempts to go to an enabled stop, it first checks to see if the stop has a "train limit" set. This limit specifies the maximum number of trains allowed to go to this station. If the number of trains headed to that stop (including one sitting at the stop) is greater than or equal to the stop's current train limit, then the train will not go to that stop. It will check other enabled stops with that name. If all stops with that name are full, the train will enter the "destination full" state. Once a stop with that name opens up to allow more trains, the train will proceed. Like disabling, if a train limit changes while a train is en-route to a stop, the train will continue to the stop and complete its wait conditions. A stop with a train limit of 0 behaves identically to a stop which has been disabled.

When there are multiple valid stops with the same name, the train will next check each stop's "priority". Stop priority can be set manually or with the circuit network, and can be set between 0 and 255, defaulting to 50. The lowest priority is 0, and the highest priority is 255. Trains will prefer stops with a higher priority. If all valid stops have the same priority value, the train will select the closest stop. Priority values are only considered when a train is dispatched; if a train is en-route and priority values of its stop change so that it is no longer going to the highest priority stop, the train will ''not'' re-path to the new highest priority stop and will continue on its original schedule.

Priority can also apply to a train's departing station. If multiple trains at separate stations are waiting for the same destination to become available, the train whose current station has the higher priority will depart first.

While a train is en-route, it may [[Railway/Train_path_finding#Repath_events|repath]] to a different train stop of the same name, provided the new train stop has not reached its capacity. When this happens, the train ceases to count toward the train limit of the original stop.

Train stops can be used to pass circuit signals to trains, read train contents, uniquely identify trains with an ID number, or count the amount of trains going to the train stop.

When reading the content of a stopped train, fluid amounts are rounded down to the nearest integer, except when the fluid amount is < 1, then it is is rounded to 1.

== Indicators ==
There are indicator lights on the top of the train stop. These show:

[[File:train_stop_bothsolid.png]]   Solid light – The train stop is unoccupied/available.

[[File:train_stop_alternate.gif]]   Alternate blinking – A train is approaching or passing the train stop.

[[File:train_stop_bothblink.gif]]   Simultaneous blinking – A train is stopped/occupying the train stop.

[[File:train_stop_none.png]]   No lights – The train stop is invalid.

[[File:train_stop_red.gif]]   Blinking red – The train stop is disabled via circuit network.

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths=320px heights=170px>
File:train_stops_colors.png|Three railways with different color train stops.
File:train_stop_gui.png|Four trains listed in a train stop's GUI.
</gallery>

== History ==
{{history|1.1.0|
* Train stop allows to set limit of incoming trains.
* Fluids in train circuit logic treat summed < 1 fluid values as 1 instead of 0.
}}

{{history|0.17.0|
* Train stop recipe now uses iron sticks.
}}

{{history|0.15.0|
* Train station adds 2000 tiles penalty when path finding, so trains try to avoid stations not related to their path.
* Train Stop can output the contents of the stopped train's cargo.
* Train Stop can be disabled using the circuit network.
* When the active train stop is removed, trains will immediately leave the station if they're waiting at the station.
}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* New graphics
* Placement indicator
* Indicator of train position when stopped at station on hover.
}}

{{history|0.10.0|
* Station names can now be changed.}}

{{history|0.7.0|
* Show the direction of incoming trains when being built.
* Multiple train stops for each train station.}}

{{history|0.4.1|
* Cannot be rotated after building.}}

{{history|0.4.0|
* Introduced}}

==See also==
* [[Locomotive]]
* [[Railway]]
* [[Rail signal]]
* [[Rail chain signal]]

{{LogisticsNav}}
{{C|Railway}}

Belt transport system

2025-08-19T14:19:09Z

Pikmario: Replaced "X times faster" with more accurate "X times as fast"

{{Languages}}
[[File:transport_belt_preview.png|right]]
The belt transport system is the first system the [[player]] will use to transport items from place to place. It, along with [[Railway|trains]], and [[Logistic network|Logistic robots]], makes up the systems of item transportation in Factorio.

Belts specifically are used to transport items and run without using energy. Belts can also interact with other moving entities such as [[player]]s, [[vehicle]]s and [[enemies]], also allowing for faster or slower movement speed.

== Belt tier overview ==

There are 3 different tiers of belts available for use (4 with [[Space Age]]). The [[transport belt]] has a yellow color and is the slowest, as well as the cheapest to craft. The next tier up, the [[fast transport belt]] has a red color and is twice as fast as the standard transport belt. The [[express transport belt]] is the final tier in the base game. It is colored blue and is three times as fast as normal belts, or 1.5× as fast as red belts. The [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} can only be crafted on [[Vulcanus]]. It is colored green and is four times as fast as normal belts, or 2× as fast as red belts.

The "stacks" below refers to stacks created by a [[stack inserter]]{{SA}}, not inventory stacks. If no stack inserters are involved, this is equivalent to items.

[[File:Transport_belts_speed.gif|250px|thumb|top|Animation showing the four types of belt and their speed (from top to bottom: regular belts, fast belts, express belts and turbo belts).]]

{| class="wikitable"
! [[Transport belts]] !! [[Underground belts]] !! [[Splitters]] !! Max. throughput (stacks/[[Time#Seconds|second]]) !! Needed research
|-
| {{Imagelink|Transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Splitter|Splitter}}
| 15
| [[Logistics (research)]]1
|-
| {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Fast underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Fast splitter}}
| 30
| [[Logistics 2 (research)]]
|-
| {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Express underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Express splitter}}
| 45
| [[Logistics 3 (research)]]
|-
| {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}}
| {{Imagelink|Turbo underground belt|space-age=yes}}
| {{Imagelink|Turbo splitter|space-age=yes}}
| 60
| [[Turbo transport belt (research)]]
|}
(1) Only for the underground belt and splitter. The basic transport belt is available at the start of the game.

Regardless of the belt tier, a fully filled straight transport belt holds 8 stacks in total. For more information on this, see [[Transport belts/Physics]] and [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Friday Facts #276 - Belt item spacing].
{{clear}}

== Belt mechanics ==

=== Merging and un-merging belts ===

Belts of all tiers have 2 lanes for items to ride on. This allows for either a double flow of one material, or to transport two different materials on the same belt. Mixed belts can be beneficial for
smelting ore, or producing items with many different ingredients such as [[Utility science pack]]. The belt can be unmerged using a splitter filter. It is also possible to unmerge a mixed belt by using underground belts since an underground belt will block half of the belt.

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=350px>
File:Transport_belts_2_lanes.gif
File:Transport_belts_unmerge.gif
</gallery>

Belts going across a splitter will have items from the splitter moving to one side of the crossing belt.

[[File:splitters_to_one_side.gif|center|Splitters moving objects to just one side of a belt.]]

Commonly, merging and un-merging is done by using a [[splitter]]. The trick in the second gif is better described in the '''[[Belt_transport_system#Separating_belt_lanes|underground belt]]''' section.

=== Lane balance ===

Due to how items are placed onto belts by [[inserters]], their lanes can sometimes become unbalanced. In order to
maintain throughput, balancing the lanes may be necessary. The gifs below show two ways how to do this. The former only works if only one lane is in use initially. For further explanation of the mechanics, see [[Balancer mechanics#Lane_balancers|lane balancers]].

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=250px>
File:Transport_belts_balance1.gif
File:Transport_belts_balance2.gif
</gallery>

=== Belt throughput ===
[[File:Stack inserters fill express belt.gif|frame|250px|right|4 [[bulk inserter]]s can compress an express belt at stack size 12 for the left inserters and stack size 8 for the right inserters.]]
Maximizing the throughput means ensuring that as many items as possible are transported. Therefore some definitions need to
be introduced:

; Speed
: How fast a belt moves in tiles per second. This is 1.875, 3.75, 5.625 and 7.5 for basic, fast, express and turbo belts respectively.
; Density
: How tight are the items put onto the belts; each straight belt piece can hold exactly 8 items.
; Throughput
: This is speed × density. It describes how many items pass by at a given time.

So, there are three opportunities to enhance the throughput:

; More density
:Sometimes items have small gaps in between each other that aren't big enough for other items to fit in. However, mining drills, inserters, and belt sideloading can still force an item into these gaps, temporarily squashing the items on the belt. The squashed gap is extended to normal size once the front of the belt starts to move again.
; More speed
:If the belts in the factory are already at maximum density, their speed can still be upgraded with better belts. Finding the bottleneck is the first thing that needs to be done, usually it can be discovered quite easily. There will be a part of the belt where the items don't move quickly (or at all) or stop at maximum density and suddenly they come to a point where this 'stop and go' effect releases itself, the bottleneck has been found. In most cases, this will be the place where belt optimization is needed.
; More belts
:Adding additional parallel belts can also increase the throughput. Simply place more belts carrying the item that needs throughput.

=== Belt tricks ===

Moving fast can be essential to defend alien attacks in time. Running on a belt will increase or decrease the movement speed of the [[player]] accordingly to the belts speed. That is why building a belt towards your defenses can be beneficial.

However, the player is not the only unit that can be moved by transport belts. Additionally, biters and spitters can be moved. This can be abused to improve your defense. Firstly, biters will have a harder time to reach your walls when placing express transport belt in front of them. Secondly, spitters can be moved closer to your walls. That way more turrets can attack a single spitter at once.

Another useful usage is [[car]]s on transport belts. Cars have an inventory and can be filled by [[inserters]]. So, they can be used as moving boxes on belts. This has several advantages: Firstly the throughput of the belt-car-boxes is amazingly high, secondly the inserter stack size bonus does apply here and makes inserters more effective.

== Splitters ==

[[Splitters]] are another form of item manipulation. Splitters are a 2×1 entity that splits incoming items on belts
from up to two input to up to two outputs, in a 1:1 ratio. They are used to divide resources between two belts, or balance
multiple belts.

=== Mechanics ===

The behavior of splitters looks simple at first glance. But they are not that simple. Splitters have an astonishing amount of uses.

* Splitters have two input belts and two output belts. If the splitter receives items on one belt, it will split the input evenly between its two outputs. If one of the outputs is fully backed-up and the splitter cannot split evenly, it will put all input on its other output.
* Splitters can also merge belts, taking two inputs and one output.
* Splitters preserve the lanes of the items, by moving through the splitter an item on the right lane will not be moved to the left lane, and vice versa.
* Splitters can prioritize one input and/or one output. Clicking on a splitter opens its GUI where the priorities can be set.
* One output of the splitter can be filtered to one item. Items of that type will only go to that output, and not to the other one.

The speed of the splitter is the same as its relevant type of belt, so in order to properly join/split belts, the splitter must be the same speed as the incoming belts. Otherwise the splitter will become a bottleneck.

==== Priority ====
For both the input and output side of the splitter it is possible to set the priority to either left or right.

A splitter where the input priority has been set will first try to consume the specified input side, and will only
consume the other input once there is a gap on the prioritized input belt.

Similarly a splitter where the output priority has been set will try to redirect all incoming items
to the specified output, and will only output on the other output once the specified output is full.

==== Filter ====
If a specific item is set in the splitter's filter slot, the slider for the output priority will
be used for the filter instead. All items of the set type will be redirected to that specific output
and all other items are directed to the other output. The input priority can be set independently of the filter.

=== Balancing ===

{{Main|Balancer mechanics}}

Balancers are used to evenly distribute items over multiple belts or multiple belt lanes.

=== Manipulating belt lanes ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=250px>
File:Swap_belt_lanes.gif|Swapping lanes on a belt with a different item per belt lane.
File:Splitter_separate_belt_lanes.gif|Separating lanes with different items on them.
</gallery>

== [[Circuit network]] ==

[[File:transport_belt_circuits.png|thumb|250px|Two belts connected to a [[constant combinator]].]]
[[Red wire|Red]] or [[green wire]]s can be connected to segments of transport belts to use them as part of a circuit. Belts connected to the circuit network will appear with a yellow cage above them, with a moving red scanner within it. When a belt is connected to a circuit, a GUI can be accessed from the connected belt for settings on how the belt will be used for a circuit; there are two modes of operation that can be used:

'''Enable/disable''' - A circuit condition dictates whether or not the belt will allow items through. 
'''Read belt contents''' - If enabled, the contents on the belt will be read.

The belt's GUI will also have a "content read mode" setting, which can be set to either '''pulse''' or '''hold'''. '''Pulse''' will read the belt's contents for only one [[Time|tick]], while '''hold''' will read the belt's contents continuously on every tick.

[[File:transport_belt_circuit_gui.png|thumb|right|Transport belt GUI.]]

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=450px heights=200px>
File:transport_belt_circuit_example1.gif|A small example of a transport belt circuit reading belt contents to trigger two lamps.
File:transport_belt_circuit_example2.gif|[[Fast inserter]]s are activated by the [[arithmetic combinator]]s' setup; when a specific item enters a belt segment that's connected to the circuit network, the inserters place the same item on another belt.
</gallery>
{{clear}}

== Underground belts ==
[[File:4-6-8.png|thumb|right|Underground lengths|250px]]
Underground belts can be used to cross different flows of items without interfering. They move items like a [[Transport belts|normal belt]].
* Underground belts can cross any number of entities and most types of ground, like water and grass. (as long as the input and output endpoints are on land)
* Underground belts can cross other underground entities (any number of underground belts or underground pipes). They won't be mixed.
* For the connection only the endpoints (entry-side and exit-side) are relevant.
* The underground distance is 4, 6 and 8 [[Map_structure#Tile|tiles]], respectivly, for the three belt types in base game.
* An underground belt pair that bridges a gap of 4 tiles stores up to 44 items. An express underground belt pair at max length stores up to 72 items.
* The half of the underground belt tile with a belt can accept input from the side. The other half (with a tunnel entrance) blocks incoming items.

=== Separating belt lanes ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=350px>
File:Block belt lane.gif|This is built by placing one underground belt and then using R to reverse its direction. This converts the underground belt entrance to an exit (and vice versa).
File:Transport belts unmerge.gif|This can also be used to split the lanes of a belt onto seperate belts instead of using a splitter filter.
</gallery>

=== Braiding ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=450px heights=200px>
File:underground_belt_braiding.gif|Different types of underground belts can be braided together along the same line of tiles, with items staying in their respective belt types.
File:underground_belt_braiding2.gif|The same concept, but with a different belt design.
</gallery>

Braiding can be particularly useful where more than two input lanes are required while also avoiding the use of a parallel belt/[[long-handed inserter]] combination. For example, this can be useful if there is limited space, such as when using a beacon. With a beacon range of 3 orthogonal tiles, two of which would be occupied by a belt and inserter, it would not be possible to place the parallel belt in the third space and still have a beacon on the same side, as the assembler would now be in the fourth tile and not in range. With the space saved by braiding, this is now possible.

== See also ==
* [[Splitters]]
* [[Transport belts]]
* [[Underground belts]]

{{C|Logistics{{!}}#Belt transport system}}
{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}