Train giving "No Path" error

[Justsomerandomguy]

Hi, im still pretty new too Factorio, a train is giving me the "No Path" error even though I can drive by making a temporary stop with ctrl + click there, note: my simple train system has absolutely NO train signals

[san]

if the the temporary stop work, i would conclude that the regular train stop is on the wrong side of the track.
otherwise screenshots or save game would help

[mmmPI]

i would agree with sam, that's the most likely explanation, train stop are always on the right side of the track in the game, using the ALT-view could show rectangular boxes representing where would the locomotive and wagons would line up when at this train stop to help vizualize. ( i'm not sure this is default behavior of ALT view but there is a configurable setting for this in the option)

Train showing "no-path" also imply that your network doesn't allow the train to approach the train stop from both direction, hence the train stop is not reachable by the train giving its current orientation. ( a straight line with no loop at the end ).

The orientation is not given to the rail track themselves, it's just the train stop, the temporary stops are ok because they target a rail .

It would show the same message if the train was to try and reach a train stop that is not connected to any rails, or rails that are not connected to where the train is. Sometimes this can happen when you order the train to go to the wrong station by mistake and/or when one station has a spelling mistake , the train doesn't recognize the intented train stop and instead target another one it can't reach.

[Justsomerandomguy]

Thanks for the Help, I didnt know that you always had to build entire loops even if the train had a Locomotive on both ends

[Kyralessa]

Thanks for the Help, I didnt know that you always had to build entire loops even if the train had a Locomotive on both ends

You don't always have to build entire loops even if the train has a locomotive on each end.

But then your tracks have to be bidirectional, which means you need signals on both sides of the tracks. Or you need no signals at all. The signals restrict which direction a train can travel, so if you don't have any, your trains can go any direction.

Here are some examples: viewtopic.php?t=53937

[mmmPI]

Thanks for the Help, I didnt know that you always had to build entire loops even if the train had a Locomotive on both ends

maybe my wording was not clear, i meant that if you have a straight line with a loop at the end, the train would be able to reach a train stop placed on either side of the track, either directly from one orientation, or it would first drive through the train stop, then through the loop, then to the train stop again, but this time from the correct orientation.

On a straigh lane without loop, the train cannot do 99% of the path facing one direction, and just switch at the very end to make the last % in reverse to comply with the train stop orientation. ( it says "no path" in your situation ).

Having a locomotive on both end allows train to start their path toward the 2 different direction. but then a train need to stop and recalculate a new destination or a new path to its destination for this direction to be changed; this happens at a train stop( most of the time).

Loops allow the train to do the 180° turn required to reach the destination in any orientation without the need to stop and use the other-direction-facing locomotive.

Using an intermediate station instead of a loop would do the trick too, providing a place for the train to reverse its engine, the train would first path to the intermediate station going 1 direction, and then the other direction to reach the intented final destination in reverse direction. similar manoeuver to overshooting a parking spot with a car and going backward for precision at the end.

Having a locomotive on both end allows for the train to reach a train stop placed on a dead end, and leave it going in the reverse direction. Provided the train stop is placed on the correct side of the track in the dead end to allow incoming train from the only available end otherwise it will show the message "no path".