As much as we love railfanning, we’ll be the first to admit it: Sometimes there’s nothing better than winding down the day by flopping onto the couch and watching a movie.
We even have a theory in the Lang household: “There’s a train in every movie!” We try to spot one in every movie we watch!
You can try it, too. And it shouldn’t be too hard; directors have used trains in their movies since the beginning of film itself.
In fact, you might have heard the urban legend about The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat: When the pioneering Lumière brothers showed a 50-second film about a train pulling into the station, audiences bolted out of the room because they thought the train would roll out of the screen and into the theater!
Fortunately, there’s no danger in our list—just fun!
16 Movies With Trains You’ll Love
We’ve scoured the internet for some of the most popular movies with trains of the last 100 years, and we’ve compiled these 16. We’ve listed them according to their IMDb rankings (which can fluctuate over time):
The General (1926)
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
About the Film: Often regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, this Buster Keaton comedy classic takes place during the Civil War, as Keaton’s character becomes an engineer on The General—a massive train.
Strangers On A Train (1951)
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
About the Film: In this Alfred Hitchcock classic, two men meet on a train and devise a wicked plan: They’ll each kill the other’s most-hated individual, based on the theory that they won’t be caught because neither should have a connection or motive for the murder.
Tip: The original novel appears on our list of 30 Train Books Worth Reading. Be sure to check it out!
The Train (1964)
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
About the Film: This riveting thriller tells the story of the French Resistance undermining the Nazis as a German colonel plots to sneak smuggled art classics out of the country. Burt Lancaster stars as the heroic railway inspector pressed into service to thwart the Nazi plans.
Tip: If you like studying WWII, learn how the Nazis plotted to destroy the famous Horseshoe Curve.
The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
About the Film: This is the original version of the thriller (not the 2009 remake featuring Denzel Washington and John Travolta). In it, a New York gang hijacks a subway car and threatens to kill the passengers until they receive $1 million in cash.
Tip: The original novel appears on our list of 30 Train Books Worth Reading. Be sure to check it out!
Train to Busan (2016)
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
About the Film: A father and his young daughter board a high-speed train traveling across South Korea just as a zombie outbreak begins sweeping the country. With infected passengers rapidly overrunning the train, the survivors must fight their way through the cars while deciding whom they can trust. Despite its terrifying premise, the film packs surprising emotional weight.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
About the Film: When a wealthy American passenger is murdered aboard the luxurious Orient Express, legendary detective Hercule Poirot must identify the killer before anyone can escape. This stylish adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery features an incredible ensemble cast that includes Albert Finney, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, and Lauren Bacall.
Runaway Train (1985)
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
About the Film: In a film led by the legendary Jon Voight, two escaped prisoners hop onto a speeding train through Alaska. But when the engineer suffers a fatal heart attack, they must fight for survival on a train barreling toward disaster—while the prison warden pursues them via helicopter.
Emperor of the North (1973)
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
About the Film: In this Action-Adventure film, a train-hopping hobo and a vindictive train conductor enter a battle of wits, as the hobo declares he’ll manage to ride the conductor’s train all the way to Portland—without being caught and thrown off the train.
Snowpiercer (2013)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
About the Film: Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon Ho directs an all-star cast featuring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Ed Harris. The story: The human survivors of the earth’s latest ice age survive on the class-divided train—and plot their scheme to move up the hierarchy.
Tip: The original novel appears on our list of 30 Train Books Worth Reading. Be sure to check it out!
The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953)
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
About the Film: The Titfield Thunderbolt is a charming and cheerful British comedy about a feud that erupts after the government shuts down a decrepit railway line. As the local bus company prepares for a monopoly on local transportation, the local villagers rally to keep the line open.
Silver Streak (1976)
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
About the Film: In this endearing comedy-thriller, Gene Wilder falls in love during a fun cross-country train ride—until he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit! The real crooks kidnap his love interest (Jill Clayburgh) and throw him off the train, and he’s left to chase after them with the help of a car thief (played by Richard Pryor).
Unstoppable (2010)
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
About the Film: An unmanned train rolls out of control while laden with toxic chemicals. A veteran engineer and rookie conductor band together to stop the train before it crashes into the nearby city. Its star-studded cast includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, and Ethan Suplee.
Breakheart Pass (1975)
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
About the Film: Charles Bronson stars in a high-energy American Western about a train barreling through the wilderness with supplies to treat a diphtheria epidemic—until a prison steps aboard and passengers begin dying. The story only grows more tense from there!
Bonus: Breakheart Pass also features one of Hollywood’s most famous train crash scenes:
The Polar Express (2004)
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 55%
About the Film: The classic children’s book takes the holiday silver screen, with Tom Hanks in the starring role! Children climb on the Polar Express train, destined to reach the North Pole.
Tip: If you like this movie, be sure to check out our list of Polar Express train rides in PA!
The Girl On the Train (2016)
IMDb: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%
About the Film: This Emily Blunt-led psychological thriller was a box office hit, spinning the tale of a recovering alcoholic woman who gets caught up in a murder. As she begins to question her own memory, she launches her own investigation to learn the truth.
Tip: The original novel appears on our list of 30 Train Books Worth Reading. Be sure to check it out!
Danger Lights (1930)
IMDb: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 14%
About the Film: A love triangle between a railroad boss, a railroad engineer, and a beautiful young woman sparks a dangerous showdown in the rail yard.
More Ways to Love Trains
If you love trains, get an up-close view of the Norfolk Southern main line by visiting The Station Inn. You can watch dozens of trains pass every day from the comfort of our front porch!
Book a room today to start your adventure!