Factorio Forums

The changes to train pathfinding + stations in 0.15 cause issues where a free route through a station will not be used at all, instead waiting indefinitely.

Scenario: I visit mining outposts for maintainance, and park a manually controlled train on the mainline next to a passing loop station. Any trains needing to pass the manual train refuse to go via the clear station route.
I posted a suggestion on alternative station penalties that should help in cases line this: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45971

The trains system expects trains on the rails to move. If you park a train and it never moves then it's not going to be able to handle it.

If you really want to park a train on the rails then I recommend making branches that you can drive the train off the main rail set so the automatic trains don't get stuck on them.

It was never an issue before the changes to 0.15

Well I worked around it in this case by adding a station stop to the mainline too, so both paths get the penalty added.

However, this now means that all routes from this branch get the penalty. If there's an alternative longer route without stations then trains will start taking unexpected routes through the map.

Also, this current fixed station route penalty system isn't working, In my central base, there's a coal unloading station with a longer loop like this - and no station on the mainline. However, I found an iron ore train trying to go through the coal station despite three coal trains waiting there.

The simple 0.15 station penalty system is not enough - and a simple improvement is to vary the penalty based on the number of trains using the station (zero or onbe train, much lower, more than two, even higher. And consider the state of other trains going to stations)

Indeed, such unused trains need to add some more penalty to the pathfinder!

Right now the trains do but because it's so small it doesn't outweigh other penalties.

I'll make manual-mode trains with no players in them have a *much* larger penalty (something like 2000 tiles).