Trains have been a theme in both traditional and popular music since the first half of the 19th century and over the years have appeared in nearly all musical genres, including folk, blues, country, rock, jazz, world, classical and avant-garde.

While the prominence of railroads in the United States has faded in recent decades, the train endures as a common image in popular song.

[2][3] The earliest known train songs date to two years before the first public railway began operating in the United States.

"The Carrollton March", copyrighted July 1, 1828, was composed by Arthur Clifton to commemorate the groundbreaking of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Most have appeared on commercially released albums and singles and are notable for either their composers, the musicians who performed them, or their place in the history of the form.