Tunnels & the tunnel biome

Tunnels are a track treatment for mountain routes in Railborn, with a tunnel biome included in the same system. Washbear Studio says the system takes any track running through a mountain and helps add a tunnel, so it changes how that route passes through the terrain. The studio also floated extending the idea to the ocean, but that wording describes a possibility rather than an established ocean feature. The announcement says the tunnel system was polished for playtests and a demo. It does not state a construction cost, a tunnel length, a travel time, or a universal requirement for crossing one.

Washbear Studio introduced the tunnel system in its 6 July 2026 Weather announcement. The post placed tunnels alongside bypass switches and weather, explained that a dynamic system was needed for tracks through mountains, and said it had been polished for playtests and a demo. It also mentioned a possible ocean extension as a spoiler. Later in the same post, the studio noted that train height could become a problem in a tunnel, which adds context without defining a clearance rule. The closing caveat remains: features the studio writes about might change before and during Early Access.

The tunnel system connects Railborn’s tracks with mountain terrain and the tunnel biome. Washbear Studio describes it as helping add a tunnel to any track that runs through a mountain, so the route gains a passage through that terrain. The same announcement also mentions train height as a possible problem inside a tunnel and floats an ocean extension. It supplies no stated condition for crossing the tunnel, and it does not establish any further dependency that should be inferred from the surrounding weather or bypass-switch discussion.

Does a mountain track need a separate tunnel feature, and what must a train do to pass through it? Washbear Studio says its tunnel system takes any track running through a mountain and helps add a tunnel, including a tunnel biome. The same announcement notes that train height can become a problem in a tunnel, but gives no clearance rule or required upgrade. As of 3 September 2026, the exact crossing conditions remain unspecified, and the ocean extension is only described as a possibility. Follow How We Source and Washbear Studio’s news feed for the next dated detail.