Factorio · Train departure conditions · PC
Train leaves early? Read the AND/OR rule as separate departure routes
On this page
Full cargo OR time passed lets the train leave when either is true. Full cargo AND time passed requires both. Use OR for a maximum waiting time; use AND for a minimum dwell time. Changing the number cannot correct the wrong operator.
Choose the behavior before editing the schedule
Suppose your loader is slow and you want a train to leave when full, but never wait longer than 45 seconds. Set Full cargo OR 45 seconds passed. If it fills after 12 seconds, it can leave then. If it remains partly loaded at 45 seconds, the timer provides an alternative departure route.
For a station that must hold the train at least 45 seconds and must also finish loading, use Full cargo AND 45 seconds passed. A half-loaded train still waits at 45 seconds. These are logical examples, not predictions of your loading speed.
Mixed rules: repeat the requirement in every OR branch
Factorio groups adjoining AND terms together and separates those groups with OR. Imagine a departure rule of (cargo full AND 20 seconds passed) OR (circuit ready AND 20 seconds passed). The minimum-time requirement appears in both branches. If you leave it out of the circuit branch, a ready signal can permit an earlier departure.
Before running the train, write two test states: “cargo full, timer false” and “cargo not full, timer true.” Say whether each should depart, then compare with the configured rule. This catches a mistaken OR faster than waiting through repeated real loading cycles.
Inactivity is not proof that loading completed
Inactivity measures a period without item additions or removals. A stalled inserter or empty supply can satisfy it while the train is still short of cargo. Use it as an extra requirement when appropriate, rather than treating it as a synonym for Full cargo.
If the rule is true but the train remains
Now inspect the next destination, capacity and route. Departure logic and the ability to reach the next stop are separate checks. Also confirm you edited the intended scheduled or temporary stop rather than a similarly named interrupt.
Sources and scope
Published October 18, 2026. Official references checked on this date: Train wait-condition grouping · Official condition types · Pictured AND example. This is an independently written source-based guide; examples are diagnostic setups, not performance measurements. Website assets used under Wube’s press guidance. Official game.
Destination checks · Refuel conditions · All Factorio guides