Thanalan - train tracks... what are they for?

[Hiruke]

That would be because Nanawa Mines is actually after the zoneline, you go through the mines to enter North Thanalan, but the mines are skipped in gameplay (much like Coerthas Eastern Lowlands and Coerthas Central Lowlands), it was a playable open world dungeon in 1.0.

Are you sure it's not a case of the map being labeled oddly? Where it says Nanawa Mines isn't right on the zone line. It seems to refer to that entire area outside of the mines as "Nanawa Mines" (which isn't nearly as ridiculous as Silvertear Lake being labeled as "Silvertear Falls"). It could mean:

1) Nanawa Mines is actually where the train/cart/whatever tracks lead into.
2) Nanawa Mines proper is completely caved in, and they only bothered to dig out enough to make a pass between Central Thanalan and Northern Thanalan.

Also, you don't skip past Coerthas Eastern Highlands. The new zone connection from North Shroud goes west AROUND Coerthas Eastern Highlands (does not pass through it) and into Coerthas Central Highlands. You'll note the zone line into Highlands is quite a bit west of Griffin Crossing (down for repairs), which is how you would zone into Coerthas Eastern Highlands in 1.0.