Belts are perfect inside a factory and awful across a continent. Past a certain distance, trains win decisively.
Know the threshold
If a resource node sits far from your base, a belt run gets long, laggy, and fragile. That is the moment to lay rail instead. Trains carry bulk loads that would need a dozen belts.
Plan the rail first
A train needs two stations and a clean track between them. Double-track lines let trains run both directions without deadlock; single-track needs careful signals. Sketch the route before you build.
Load and unload at stations
Stations pull items from a belt onto the train and drop them back onto a belt at the other end. Buffer the station with containers so the train never waits on a slow belt.
Separate freight from distribution
Dedicate one network to raw resource transport and another to finished goods. Mixing cross-traffic slows both and complicates signaling.
Trains are a learning curve with a huge payoff. Build the first line once, copy it forever.
Practical notes
Trains win past the distance where belts get laggy and fragile, and they carry bulk loads that would need a dozen belts. Plan the rail before building, because a route through rough terrain means bridges and tunnels. Double-track lines avoid deadlock, while single track needs careful signals and sidings.
Buffer stations with containers so the train never waits on a slow belt. Start with one route, watch it run, then expand the network one line at a time. Keep freight stations separate from distribution so cargo never crosses itself.
Signals keep the network deadlock-free as trains are added one at a time.