Understand safe waiting positions before adding signals around a railway junction.
Start with the current signal guidance
OpenTTD’s wiki identifies path signals as the default choice and marks parts of its older signal page as outdated. The construction tutorial distinguishes a standard path signal from a one-way path signal. Begin with the documented path-signal examples for your version rather than copying an old block-signal layout without understanding its assumptions. This guide concerns the game, not real railway operation.
A red light is not the whole explanation
The manual explains that a path signal lets a train reserve an available route ahead. Another train may use a different non-conflicting path through the same area. A waiting train therefore needs more than a glance at the colour of one light: inspect its intended route and whether a safe next waiting position is available.
Give a stopped train room to clear the junction
The manual recommends putting signals where trains can wait without obstructing a junction. A signal immediately beyond a junction can leave a long train’s rear inside it. Our suggested planning exercise is to picture the whole train stopped at the signal and ask which other routes its length would block. Make that check before extending the network or adding more trains.
Try one change in a separate practice copy
Our suggested troubleshooting routine is to use a separate copy of the save, observe one junction and alter one signal or waiting area at a time. Check train orders and the physical route as well as signal type. If the result is still unclear, compare the arrangement with the wiki’s small examples. We have not run a gameplay test of your network, and the illustration above is not a diagram of correct signal placement.
Go straight to the people who make it.
OpenTTD signal types and waiting positionsSignal construction tutorialSource check: 2026-10-02. General guidance; follow your device’s current instructions.