Railborn Nexus: The Brain of Your Train

What the Nexus is

Fairly early in the game you will likely want to build a Nexus. The developers describe it as the brain of your train and one of the ways to improve your overall survival capacity. It is a buildable structure, fed by items called Nexus Cores that you collect in the world.

What the Nexus expands

The November 2025 blog lists four lines your Nexus helps expand:

• Incline ability - handy in a world of tracks rising up mountains.
• Engines - more engines mean more speed and base size, though not all engines are equal.
• Platforms - described as an absolute must to expand your production and collection of biomes.
• Bonus oxygen - breathing a little longer away from the train.

Nexus Cores

The blog closes the section with a nudge to start collecting Nexus Cores, which makes them a scavenge target alongside the materials you gather for building. How many cores a Nexus needs has not been shown.

Subject to change

The developers say they have been experimenting with which abilities come from machines versus the Nexus, and expect the split to evolve, especially with Early Access feedback. Treat the list above as the current experiment, not a final feature table. The standing disclaimer applies to everything here.

The Nexus pairs with the motes and technology tree, the movement facts on the train building page, and the power and water systems it supports. Timing lives on the release date page.