Introduction
The promise of a vast, interconnected factory network is one of the biggest draws of Satisfactory. Watching resources flow seamlessly between distant outposts, powered by automated systems, is a deeply satisfying experience. But when do you get the key to that automation: trains?
Satisfactory, the open-world factory building game developed by Coffee Stain Studios, tasks players with constructing increasingly complex production lines on an alien planet. To achieve true industrial efficiency, players must master transportation. While conveyor belts and trucks offer early solutions, trains represent a quantum leap in logistical capability.
If you’re eager to build your railway empire and wondering exactly when you can unlock trains in Satisfactory, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through the process, from initial milestones to crucial research, so you can start automating your factory like a pro. Trains are a game changer, enabling you to transport massive quantities of resources across vast distances, centralize production, and ultimately, dominate the planet.
Reaching Milestone Five: The Key to Trains
The first step on your path to a railway revolution is reaching Milestone Five in the HUB Terminal. Milestones are the backbone of progression in Satisfactory. They represent significant achievements in your factory’s development and unlock new technologies, buildings, and research options. Each milestone requires the completion of specific tasks, typically involving producing certain quantities of items and delivering them to the HUB Terminal.
The HUB Terminal itself is your central command post. Located at your crash site, it’s the interface through which you interact with the game’s progression system. By delivering the required resources to the HUB, you unlock new tiers of technology, allowing you to expand your factory and explore new possibilities. Think of it as your factory’s report card, demonstrating your progress to your corporate overlords back on Earth. Reaching Milestone Five is the crucial gate you must pass before even thinking about trains. It represents a significant level of technological advancement in your factory.
Detailed Steps to Unlock Milestone Five
Before you can unlock Milestone Five, you’ll need to complete all the milestones from tiers zero through four. Each of these tiers builds upon the previous one, introducing new resources, production methods, and challenges. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to accomplish:
Tier Zero
This is the initial starting phase. You will be prompted to fulfill the basic objectives needed to power your HUB building and its basic needs.
Tier One
This tier focuses on establishing basic resource production. You’ll likely be automating the production of iron ingots, copper ingots, concrete, and wire. Expect to build your first miners, smelters, and constructors. Key milestones in this tier will require you to produce a certain quantity of these basic materials and deliver them to the HUB. This tier establishes the foundation for your factory.
Tier Two
Tier Two introduces more complex crafting and manufacturing processes. You’ll be working with iron plates, iron rods, screws, and reinforced iron plates. This tier introduces the assembler, a crucial machine for combining multiple ingredients into more advanced components. Completing this tier involves setting up automated production lines for these new items and delivering them to the HUB. This tier starts pushing your factory towards greater complexity.
Tier Three
Tier Three ramps up the complexity even further, introducing copper sheets, cables, and circuit boards. These are essential for electronics and more advanced machinery. You’ll need to construct refineries to process crude oil, opening up a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. Reaching the milestones in this tier requires mastering the production of these new components and delivering them to the HUB. You will be introducing a much more complex ingredient to the factory.
Tier Four
Tier Four focuses on heavy modular frames, modular engines, and computers. These are high-end components that require significant investment in infrastructure and automation. You’ll need to optimize your production lines and manage your power consumption carefully. Completing this tier involves automating the production of these complex items and delivering them to the HUB. The milestone marks a significant leap in your factory’s capabilities, and lays the groundwork for even greater challenges ahead.
Successfully navigating through these tiers and completing all the required milestones is not only necessary for unlocking trains but also provides a solid understanding of the game’s mechanics and prepares you for the complexities of managing a large-scale factory.
Tier Five Unlocks and Research
Unlocking Tier Five is a cause for celebration, but it’s important to understand that simply reaching Tier Five doesn’t magically conjure trains. The ability to construct trains is acquired in the MAM, or Molecular Analysis Machine. The MAM is a research facility that allows you to unlock new technologies by scanning various resources found throughout the game world.
Once you’ve unlocked Tier Five, you’ll need to research a specific technology within the MAM: **Industrial Manufacturing**. This technology requires you to scan a Caterium Ore, which is relatively rare at this stage. Caterium Ore appears as a brilliant yellow, in various places around the map. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to construct a Miner to extract caterium ore for your MAM. You’ll likely need to explore a bit to find a deposit. Once you have enough Caterium, deposit the required amount into the MAM and let the research commence!
The Molecular Analysis Machine is a dedicated research building. When you place organic or mineral pieces into the MAM it opens up a new range of technologies for you to unlock and build within your factory. It is wise to find a MAM to get up and running as quickly as possible because it opens up a whole new world of production opportunity.
Researching “Industrial Manufacturing” unlocks the ability to construct train stations, locomotives, freight cars, and railway tracks. Suddenly, the entire planet is open to you, and the limitations of conveyor belts and trucks become a distant memory. Once this tech is unlocked, you’ll be able to build a train station. This unlocks the final pieces of machinery that are needed to produce trains, the rolling stock. You can now place down locomotives and freight cars!
It’s worth noting that the MAM also offers alternate recipes for many items, often streamlining production processes and reducing resource requirements. Exploring these alternate recipes can significantly improve the efficiency of your factory and make your train network even more profitable.
Benefits of Using Trains
Once you’ve unlocked trains, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them. Trains offer a multitude of advantages over other transportation methods:
Superior Range and Capacity
The most obvious advantage is their ability to transport massive quantities of resources over very long distances. Conveyor belts are limited by length and can become incredibly unwieldy over large areas. Trucks require fuel and are prone to traffic jams. Trains can handle much larger loads and travel across the entire map with relative ease.
Scalability
Train networks are highly scalable. You can easily add more locomotives, freight cars, and train stations to increase capacity and expand your network. This makes them ideal for handling the increasing demands of your growing factory. You can expand and upgrade as you go to fulfill the ever increasing needs of your factory.
Automation
Trains can be fully automated using timetables and signals. You can program them to follow specific routes, pick up and drop off resources at designated stations, and wait for specific conditions to be met. This level of automation frees you up to focus on other aspects of your factory, such as expanding production or exploring new areas. No need to drive trucks and manually fill them with materials.
Efficiency
Trains are highly efficient in terms of fuel consumption and resource usage. They can transport large quantities of goods with minimal energy input, making them a sustainable transportation solution for your factory. Once up and running, trains are far more efficient than other transport options.
Aesthetics
Let’s be honest, trains just look cool. Watching a long train snake its way through your factory landscape is a visually satisfying experience that adds a layer of immersion to the game. This might not be a logical point, but it is a fun one!
Conclusion
Unlocking trains in Satisfactory is a transformative moment. It marks a significant step in your journey from a lone pioneer to an industrial magnate. By reaching Milestone Five in the HUB Terminal, scanning caterium ore and researching “Industrial Manufacturing” in the MAM, you unlock the power to build a vast, interconnected railway network that can transport resources across the entire planet.
Trains are not just a transportation solution; they are a symbol of progress, efficiency, and ambition. They represent the culmination of your hard work and the beginning of a new era in your factory’s development. So, keep exploring, keep building, and keep automating. The railway empire awaits!
