Since the beginning of cinema, trains have graced the screen, offering fast-paced, action-packed films that were frequent box-office hits. From the classics like "Murder on the Orient Express" to the modern "Snowpiercer," train movies have always captivated audiences. Something about their closely packed, almost claustrophobic atmosphere creates an environment that holds you glued to your seat, anxiously waiting to see what happens next.

Trains can provide just more than just action, of course. Some of the most heartwarming scenes in movie history came on board trains — "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "The Polar Express" come to mind.

No matter the genre, it's clear that train movies are here to stay and likely will continue to be a staple part of the movie industry for years to come.

20. The Great Train Robbery

"The Great Train Robbery" isn't your typical modern film — it's over 100 years old. However, it was considered a breakthrough in filmmaking at the time because of its use of on-site location filming, frequent camera movement and composite editing. Though it's only around 10 minutes long, it had a significant impact on cinema and remains one of the most influential projects of the time.

19. The Darjeeling Limited

In this film-festival favorite, director Wes Anderson delivers a unique film that offers meditations on many subjects — love, culture, death, nature and life — and somehow does in a lighthearted, comical way. The movie features an interesting cast starring Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, estranged brothers who come together for a train trip across India.

The brothers haven't spoken since their father passed over a year ago, and each is dealing with his own complicated problems in life. Together, they board the "Darjeeling Limited," a train that will take them towards their destination and through a series of situations that makes them confront the past.

"The Darjeeling Limited" is a unique film that only Wes Anderson can create — it's inspiring, warming and will leave you hopeful about life.

18. The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger pulls from a good selection of westerns to create a modern movie that excites. Starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, it tells the story of the relationship between Tonto (Depp) and John Reid (Hammer) and their trials and tribulations.

"The Lone Ranger" deserves a place on this list because of its well-crafted train scenes — Tonto and the Lone Ranger fight side by side as they take down outlaws. It's worth watching the film just to see these incredible scenes. We are proud to display the train from the Lone Ranger at the Volo Museum. 

17. Inception

Though not your typical train film, "Inception" is worth mentioning. Christopher Nolan's amazing dream-within-a-dream plot captivated audiences and had people going back to the cinema again and again to figure out what had actually happened.

It traces the story of Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a dream architect trying to raise money to get back to his family overseas. When he's offered a job that can get him back to his family, he takes it, setting out to do an unthinkable task — plant an idea in someone else's mind through a dream. Even describing the plot can confuse readers, but the way Nolan crafts it is impressive and entertaining, even if you don't know exactly what is going on.

"Inception" features one of the top train movie appearances, too. Though brief, we get flashbacks to Cobb and his wife, Mal, lying together on the tracks as the train roars towards them. It's a small scene that offers one of the biggest plot twists of the entire film. You can see the locomotive from Inception at the Volo Museum. 

16. The Shanghai Express

One of the earliest train movies was the Shanghai Express, which was released in 1932. The movie takes place in Beijing, then called Peking, during a civil war. British Captain Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) finds his old lover Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich) on a train bound for Shanghai. He discovers that she's become a prostitute known as Shanghai Lily. As they both catch up, a rebel leader takes control of the train and holds Donald hostage.

"The Shanghai Express" is an old classic that's full of romance. This film is an oldie but a goodie that was one of the first train genre movies ever.

15. Murder on the Orient Express

Few train movies are as classic as "Murder on the Orient Express," which features a group of passengers trying to find a murderer on board the train. Based on the plot from Agatha Christie's novel of the same name, the movie is a good old-fashioned who-done-it that never fails to make you think.

Among the passengers are a businessman, a maid, a Russian princess and a doctor — any of whom could be the perpetrator. The original 1974 version features some excellent acting performances and unique cinematography. It's such a popular story that it's been remade twice — once in 2001 and again in 2017.

If you love a good mystery, "Murder on the Orient Express" is the perfect train movie for you.

14. Wild Wild West

When Ulysses S. Grant finds out that an evil inventor plans to assassinate him, he enlists U.S Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kevin Cline) and Civil War hero James West (Will Smith) to capture the attacker. Together, the two unlikely companions hunt down the inventor.

"Wild Wild West" is a fun film featuring one of the most elegant and interesting trains in movie history. Filled with gadgets and a vibrant interior, it features in one of the most fantastic scenes in the film and it can now be seen at the Volo Museum! 

13. Transsiberian 

Two married American Christian missionaries, Roy and Jessie, are on their way back home from China. They're taking a train from Beijing to Moscow when they meet another couple. When Roy doesn't return in time at a stop, Jessie must leave him and wait at the next station for him to catch up. In the meantime, she stays with the new couple they've befriended. From here, the story takes a twisting storyline that results in murder and thrilling sequences.

This excellent movie showcases what happens when a well-meaning couple falls in with the wrong crowd.

12. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Although it doesn't have the usual action-packed theme of a thriller or the constant setting of a train car, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is an all-around Thanksgiving classic that deserves mention on the list.

Steve Martin plays Neal Page, an impatient traveler trying to get back home to Chicago for the holiday. When his flight is canceled due to a snowstorm, he's forced to bunk with the eccentric Del Griffith, played by John Candy. Through various mishaps, arguments and conversations, the two men strike up an unlikely friendship.

However, what starts as a lighthearted holiday comedy changes towards the end of the film. Neal finally finds a train back to Chicago and leaves Del at the station. As he reflects on their strange relationship over the past few days, he comes to a startling realization that changes the entire feel of the movie.

Hilarious, tragic and heartwarming, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" stands as one of the best comedies ever.

11. Strangers on a Train

A classic psychological thriller, "Strangers on a Train," examines just how much damage one simple encounter with a stranger can have on one's life. Alfred Hitchcock's film traces the fate of tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger), who is desperately trying to finalize his divorce from his ex-wife so he can marry his new lover.

The amiable Guy has a relatively harmless conversation with someone he meets on a train. Only when a violent event occurs does he realize what has transpired and how much trouble he's in. "Strangers on a Train" is one of Hitchcock's finest works. Like all of his films, he knows how to dial up the suspense and make his characters face situations that twist the very fabric of their natures. This film will make you think twice about that friendly chat on a train.

10. The Midnight Meat Train

"The Midnight Meat Train" takes that classic train genre and gives it a horror-movie twist. Bradley Cooper plays Leon, a struggling photographer trying to get noticed in a bustling metropolis. He finds an art gallery owner who he thinks will give him a chance — instead, she criticizes him for not taking enough risks.

Determined to prove himself, Leon dives deeper into the darkness of the city. He uncovers a horrible truth lurking in the subways beneath the city. "The Midnight Meat Train" offers one of the darkest plots on the list, full of the grittiness and hard-boiled detective work that accompanies a great genre film.

9. Runaway Train

Jon Voight and Eric Roberts star in this action thriller. Two escaped criminals find their way onto a train barreling through the wilderness of Alaska. However, when the conductor suffers a heart attack, the two men discover that they've hitched a ride on a runaway train. It's a harrowing action thriller that sets the bar for what a good train movie can be — even with such a simple premise. Both Voight and Roberts were nominated for their performances.

If you're looking for a classic train film, you can't find one better than "Runaway Train."

8. 3:10 to Yuma

Instead of taking place on a train, 3:10 to Yuma revolves around getting to a train. In the 2007 remake, notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Russel Crowe) is finally captured. Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a ranch owner whose livelihood has been destroyed by drought, decides to escort Wade to the trial. The road to the train is a long and dangerous one. Full of action, classic western qualities and excellent acting, "3:10 to Yuma" is unique to the train genre.

7. The Commuter

"The Commuter" takes many classic and modern train movie characteristics and puts them into one film. You get the uptight, claustrophobic intensity that makes a train such a good location paired with modern action sequences that light up the screen. And through it all, Liam Neeson guides us through the plot as only he can, uncovering clues along the way and desperately trying to make the right decisions against all odds.

Michael MacCauley (Neeson) is taking his normal daily commute home when a stranger confronts him and tells him he must uncover the identity of one of the passengers on the train. What starts as a harmless puzzle soon spirals into a battle between life and death.

"The Commuter" is a great modern train movie with everything to offer the action-genre lover.

6. The Taking of Pelham 123

"The Taking of Pelham 123" is another masterclass thriller that pits stellar actors — John Travolta and Denzel Washington — against each other in an edge-of-your-seat negotiation.

A criminal named Ryder (Travolta) takes control of a New York subway train with a team of armed men, threatening to kill all the passengers on board unless a large ransom is paid. Veteran dispatcher Walter Garber (Washington) tries to outwit Ryder with his superior knowledge of the subway system. "The Taking of Pelham 123" is a superb film that traces the evolution of a negotiating relationship between two men searching for justice.

5. Polar Express

"The Polar Express" is more than just a great train movie — it's also a family favorite, played routinely during the holidays and enjoyed by children and adults alike. Based on the children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, the plot follows a boy who begins doubting the magic of Christmas. As his suspicions grow and his beliefs fade, he gets into bed on Christmas Eve night without the usual excitement that accompanies the night before Christmas.

That night he's greeted with a chance to board the Polar Express, a train bound for the North Pole to see Santa and his elves. Uncertain, the boy must decide to board the train and face his suspicions or retreat back to bed.

What follows is one of the most adventurous and memorable train movies of all time, filled with classic scenes of waiters tossing out hot chocolate to passengers and kids trading stories about their complex beliefs in Santa.

"The Polar Express" is one of the top train movies ever. It reminds us of the magic of Christmas and asks us what it means to truly believe.

4. Train to Busan

Trains have many advantages. Many offer comfort, easy transportation and affordability. There are also certain aspects to trains — their confining nature, specifically — that many movies in cinema love to play off. Perhaps no movie does this better than "Train to Busan."

Divorced workaholic Seok Woo (Gong Yoo) is traveling with his estranged daughter Soo-An (Kim Soo-Ahn) via train to take her back to Busan, where her mother resides. During their route, a sick passenger enters the train unnoticed. Later, the passengers discover she's become a zombie. She infects another passenger, then another. The disease spreads rapidly throughout the train. From there, the movie follows Seok Woo and Soo-An as they navigate the horrific circumstances.

Many zombie movies can easily fall into genre pitfalls and overdone action scenes, but "Train to Busan" offers a film that is more than just an apocalyptic action movie. Though it does provide those action-packed, horrifying scenes for zombie genre lovers, at its core, the movie is something many of us can relate to — what someone is willing to do to protect those they care about.

3. Source Code

Mind-bending plots and trains seem to go together, and "Source Code" combines those two to create one of the most successful train movies ever. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens, an ex helicopter pilot who wakes up to find himself on a train living in someone else's body.

He soon learns that the train he's on is destined to blow up within minutes. He must identify the bomber so the information can then be used to stop a future accident. But as Stevens gets deeper into his mission, he becomes convinced that he can stop the explosion before it happens.

"Source Code" is a movie that's hard to get bored of — once you watch it, you'll likely want to go back and watch it again to see all the details you missed. A gripping thriller, "Source Code" is a modern classic that thrilled audiences everywhere.

2. Unstoppable

Sometimes the most straightforward plots are the most captivating. As its name implies, this movie follows the destructive path of an unstoppable train plowing its way through barriers. The train is unmanned and laden with toxic chemicals, so an accident would create an environmental disaster with unknowable effects. Two heroes step up to the task of stopping the train — a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a rookie conductor (Chris Pine).

Though a relatively simple plot in nature, the film does a great job holding the intensity and keeping you on the edge of your seat. At times heartwarming, at others tragic, "Unstoppable" is a fan favorite for a reason. It offers unparalleled action and is driven by two excellent performances by its lead actors. "Unstoppable" remains one of the best train-bound action movies.

1. Snowpiercer

At the top of the list sits "Snowpiercer," a movie filled with so much action, story and superb acting that it transcends the train genre — even though the entire film is set in a train. It features one of the best train movie scenes of all time in its opening sequences. From there, the plot weaves flawlessly through train cars until we uncover what's waiting on the other side of the train.

It's 2031, and due to a horrific scientific blunder, the Earth has been plunged into a new ice age. Since the outside conditions are unlivable, a last pod of humanity has taken up refuge in a luxury train, which travels in circles across the frozen landscape in a never-ending loop. The train is broken into class rankings — the wealthier passengers enjoy elegant and spacious rooms up front while the lower classes are relegated to squalid, cramped conditions in the back of the train.

The story beings with an uprising from this lower class, with Curtis (Chris Evans) leading the charge.

"Snowpiercer" is a mind-churning, intensely gripping film with many twists and action-packed scenes. Each moment offers its own creativity and exceptional writing. Layered with deep storylines and impressive acting performances, "Snowpiercer" is a train movie that you have to see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few frequently asked questions about train movies.

What Movies Have Trains?

"Unstoppable," "Source Code," "The Polar Express" and "The Taking of Pelham 123" all feature trains.

What Are the Best Train Movies?

"Snowpiercer," "Unstoppable," and "Train to Busan" are considered some of the best train movies ever.

What Is the Most Popular Movie Train?

The most popular movie train may be "The Polar Express," as it inspired real-life adaptations of the locomotive. "Wild Wild West," "Inception" and "The Lone Ranger" all feature trains that you can see in person at the Volo Auto Museum.

View Other Train Resources:

• A Complete History of Trains in the United States

Visit the Volo Auto Museum Exhibit

At Volo Auto Museum, we offer you a way to view your favorite movie trains with your own eyes. We have trains featured in numerous popular films. Come see us and relive your favorite cinema locomotives. Plan your trip today!