When Trains Take Center Stage on the Big Screen

Historical epics, dramas, action films or science fiction… since the very beginnings of cinema, trains and the railway world have fascinated filmmakers. Sometimes a simple backdrop, sometimes a true character in their own right, trains travel through genres and eras alike, carrying audiences along stories as diverse as they are intense. Here is a—necessarily non‑exhaustive—overview of short and feature films in which railways play a central role… occasionally interpreted with considerable creative freedom.

• Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat -1896)

At a time when cinema was still in its infancy, the Lumière brothers shot this 50‑second silent film at La Ciotat station, near their family’s holiday home. According to legend, the screening frightened some viewers, who believed the train was about to burst through the screen. An anecdote that has since become a founding myth of cinema history—and of trains on film.

• The General (1926)

Orson Welles once described it as—perhaps—the greatest film ever made about the American Civil War. This masterpiece of silent comedy by Buster Keaton follows Johnnie Gray and his two greatest loves: Annabelle… and his locomotive, The General. A burlesque and spectacular tribute to railway obsession.

• The train (1964)

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, this film by John Frankenheimer stars Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau. At the heart of the plot lies a German colonel’s plan to steal priceless artworks—an operation the Resistance will try to thwart. A taut thriller in which the train becomes a pivotal narrative element.

• Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Directed by Sidney Lumet, this adaptation brings to the screen one of Agatha Christie’s most famous novels. Aboard the train travelling from Istanbul to London, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is tasked with solving a mysterious murder. With the story unfolding almost entirely inside the train, the film creates an elegant yet claustrophobic atmosphere ripe for deception.

• Unstoppable (2010)

The “runaway train” theme has inspired several films, including Runaway Train and Tony Scott’s Unstoppable. In the latter, Denzel Washington and Chris Pine attempt to stop an unmanned freight train hurtling at full speed while carrying hazardous chemicals. Inspired by real events, the film sustains relentless tension—the disaster could strike at any moment.

• Mission : impossible (1996)

Some screenwriters take liberties with railway realism. This is certainly the case in the first instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise starring Tom Cruise. Two iconic scenes take place aboard a TGV. In one, the characters sit in a lavishly laid out compartment with a table, fruit and drinks—an arrangement that bears little resemblance to actual train interiors. In another, the TGV travels through the Channel Tunnel, which is in reality used by Eurostar trains, and even passes an oncoming train in the same tunnel bore—without visible overhead lines or technical constraints. Unable to film under real world conditions, the production relied on studio sets and special effects.

• Snowpiercer (2013)

In an apocalyptic register, Bong Joon-ho imagines a train that has become a refuge for the last survivors of humanity after the onset of a new ice age. The Snowpiercer circles the Earth endlessly, with passengers strictly divided according to social class. A perpetual journey—both politically charged and visually spectacular—marked by tension… and rebellion.

• Train to Busan (2016)

When a passenger turns into a zombie on board a train, the infection spreads rapidly. The South Korean high speed KTX train linking Seoul to Busan becomes the setting for a desperate fight for survival in a confined space, heightening an intensely claustrophobic atmosphere. The film is now widely regarded as a modern benchmark of the genre.

• Un noir parmi nous/Schwaarze Mann (2018)

Directed by François Hausemer, this documentary retraces the life of Jacques Leurs (1910–1968), while also shedding light on a chapter of the political and social history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Born in the Congo to a Luxembourgish father and a Congolese mother, Jacques Leurs was sent at a very young age to live with his grandparents in Luxembourg. Recognised as the country’s first Black citizen, he went on to work as a railwayman and trade unionist, leaving a lasting mark on the nation’s collective memory.

• Harry Potter (2001-2011)

It would be impossible to conclude this selection without a nod to trains from the realm of fantasy, such as The Polar Express. And of course, the iconic Hogwarts Express, an essential symbol for fans of the Harry Potter saga. At the start of each school year, young witches and wizards board the train at Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station to reach their school—a train that has become a symbol of passage into another world.

One thing is certain: on screen as in real life, trains remain a powerful vehicle for stories, emotions and encounters.
And you—what is your favourite train‑themed film?

(Copyright for the main photo: Adobestock)