diff --git a/src/core/game/RailNetworkImpl.ts b/src/core/game/RailNetworkImpl.ts
index e955790d2..5b94bc45d 100644
--- a/src/core/game/RailNetworkImpl.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/RailNetworkImpl.ts
@@ -253,8 +253,15 @@ export class RailNetworkImpl implements RailNetwork {
     const minRangeSquared = this.game.config().trainStationMinRange() ** 2;
     const maxPathSize = this.game.config().railroadMaxSize();
 
-    // Cannot connect if outside the max range of a factory
-    if (!this.game.hasUnitNearby(tile, maxRange, UnitType.Factory)) {
+    // A City or Port only joins the rail network when a Factory is already in
+    // range (see CityExecution/PortExecution). A Factory always becomes a
+    // station and pulls nearby City/Port/Factory into the network itself, so
+    // it needs no pre-existing factory to connect to.
+    const buildingFactory = unitType === UnitType.Factory;
+    if (
+      !buildingFactory &&
+      !this.game.hasUnitNearby(tile, maxRange, UnitType.Factory)
+    ) {
       return [];
     }
 
@@ -273,22 +280,34 @@ export class RailNetworkImpl implements RailNetwork {
       if (neighbor.distSquared <= minRangeSquared) continue;
 
       const neighborStation = this._stationManager.findStation(neighbor.unit);
-      if (!neighborStation) continue;
 
-      const alreadyReachable = connectedStations.some(
-        (s) =>
-          this.distanceFrom(
-            neighborStation,
-            s,
-            this.maxConnectionDistance - 1,
-          ) !== -1,
-      );
-      if (alreadyReachable) continue;
+      // Building a factory connects to nearby structures even if they aren't
+      // stations yet — they get promoted to stations when the factory is
+      // built. For a city/port, only existing stations are relevant.
+      let targetTile: TileRef;
+      if (neighborStation) {
+        const alreadyReachable = connectedStations.some(
+          (s) =>
+            this.distanceFrom(
+              neighborStation,
+              s,
+              this.maxConnectionDistance - 1,
+            ) !== -1,
+        );
+        if (alreadyReachable) continue;
+        targetTile = neighborStation.tile();
+      } else if (buildingFactory) {
+        targetTile = neighbor.unit.tile();
+      } else {
+        continue;
+      }
 
-      const path = this.pathService.findTilePath(tile, neighborStation.tile());
+      const path = this.pathService.findTilePath(tile, targetTile);
       if (path.length > 0 && path.length < maxPathSize) {
         paths.push(path);
-        connectedStations.push(neighborStation);
+        if (neighborStation) {
+          connectedStations.push(neighborStation);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/core/game/RailNetwork.test.ts b/tests/core/game/RailNetwork.test.ts
index f0ed13fc3..c11a5b5a9 100644
--- a/tests/core/game/RailNetwork.test.ts
+++ b/tests/core/game/RailNetwork.test.ts
@@ -376,5 +376,36 @@ describe("RailNetworkImpl", () => {
       expect(pathService.findTilePath).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(pathService.findTilePath).toHaveBeenCalledWith(tile, 100);
     });
+
+    test("factory connects to nearby structures with no pre-existing factory", () => {
+      const tile = 42 as any;
+      const railGridMock = { query: vi.fn(() => new Set()) };
+      (network as any).railGrid = railGridMock;
+
+      // No factory in range, and the nearby city is not a station yet.
+      game.hasUnitNearby.mockReturnValue(false);
+      stationManager.findStation.mockReturnValue(null);
+
+      const cityUnit = { id: 1, tile: vi.fn(() => 100) };
+      game.nearbyUnits.mockReturnValue([{ unit: cityUnit, distSquared: 400 }]);
+
+      const mockPath = [42, 50, 60, 100];
+      pathService.findTilePath.mockReturnValue(mockPath);
+
+      const result = network.computeGhostRailPaths(UnitType.Factory, tile);
+      expect(result).toEqual([mockPath]);
+      expect(pathService.findTilePath).toHaveBeenCalledWith(tile, 100);
+    });
+
+    test("city does not connect to non-station neighbors without a factory", () => {
+      const tile = 42 as any;
+      const railGridMock = { query: vi.fn(() => new Set()) };
+      (network as any).railGrid = railGridMock;
+
+      game.hasUnitNearby.mockReturnValue(false);
+
+      const result = network.computeGhostRailPaths(UnitType.City, tile);
+      expect(result).toEqual([]);
+    });
   });
 });