For generations, kids have been obsessed with trains. The size, the power, the way they roll down the track like they are following some invisible plan, all of it lands hard with little imaginations.
So it is no surprise that these kids’ cartoon shows have grown into a genre of their own, running from gentle black-and-white classics to loud Korean robot-transformers.
Here are nine of the best train cartoon shows, ranked by popularity.
Most are built for young kids, with one notable exception I will flag when we get to it.
The Best Train Cartoon Shows, Ranked
These are ranked by how popular and widely watched each one is. I have also added a quick parent’s guide to every entry, so you can see where it is from, the ages it suits best, and what makes it worth putting on.
Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine is the gentle grandfather of the whole genre. First broadcast in 1959 and revived in colour in the 1970s, it follows Ivor, a small green Welsh steam engine, and his driver Jones the Steam. Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin built it from hand-painted cardboard cut-outs, and that homemade warmth is exactly why it still charms people.
Train Heroes
Train Heroes is the anime-flavored entry on this list. This Japanese-Chinese series from 2013 imagines a future where AI bullet trains transform into humanoid robots and race off to handle disasters. So it leans harder into action and teamwork than most train shows, which gives it an almost shonen energy.
Infinity Train
Here is the exception I promised. Infinity Train, which ran from 2019 to 2021, is not a preschool show at all. Instead, each season follows a different passenger riding a seemingly endless train, where every car holds its own strange world. It is aimed at teens and adults, and it digs into real themes like grief, self-discovery, and consequences.
The Little Engine That Could
Some stories are built to be read to kids at bedtime, and this is one of them. Adapted into animated films in 1991 and again in 2011, The Little Engine That Could follows a small locomotive who takes on a job far bigger than herself. Since then, that “I think I can” refrain has been shorthand for perseverance for nearly a century.
Robot Trains
Robot Trains is South Korea’s answer to the transforming-vehicle craze. Set in Train World, it follows five trains who can shift into robot form: Kay the high-speed leader, plus Alf, Duck, Selly, and Victor. Together, they spend their days rescuing other trains and protecting their home from trouble.
Mighty Express
Mighty Express comes from the team behind Paw Patrol, and it shows. Set in the bright town of Tracksville, it pairs a squad of personality-packed trains with their kid friends to solve problems and pull off missions. So it is fast, colorful, and built squarely for the preschool crowd.
Dinosaur Train
Dinosaur Train is what happens when two toddler obsessions collide: dinosaurs and trains. So it comes with pedigree: created by Craig Bartlett of Hey Arnold! fame, it follows Buddy, a young T. rex adopted by a Pteranodon family, as they ride the Dinosaur Train across prehistory to meet different species. Still, it slips real paleontology in without ever feeling like homework.
Chuggington
Chuggington is the polished modern heavyweight of preschool train shows. Here, a group of young trains-in-training called Chuggers learn the ropes of life on the rails. In all, it ran for six series between 2008 and 2021, and it became a global staple on channels like CBeebies and Disney Junior.
Thomas & Friends
There is no debate about the top spot. Thomas & Friends is the most famous train show ever made, full stop. Running since 1984 and based on Reverend W. Awdry’s Railway Series books, it follows Thomas, a cheeky blue tank engine, and his friends on the Island of Sodor. Over the decades, episodes, films, and merchandise have turned it into a full cultural institution for tiny train fans.
Why Are Trains So Fascinating to Kids?
There is a reason toddlers point at every passing train. A few things about them tap straight into how young kids see the world.
Size and power. Trains are enormous, strong machines that haul huge loads over long distances, and that scale alone leaves a big impression on small minds.
Motion and sound. The glide along the track, the chug of the engine, the whistle, and the clack of the wheels all add up to a hypnotic little sensory package.
Stories and adventure. Trains have starred in countless tales that carry kids off somewhere new, which fires up their imagination and invites them to invent their own.
Learning built in. Underneath the fun, trains quietly teach transportation, engineering, geography, and history, so a lot of these shows double as gentle education.
Frequently Asked Questions About Train Cartoon Shows
A few of the questions that come up most around this topic.
What is the most popular train cartoon show? Thomas & Friends, without question. It has run since 1984 and remains the most recognizable train show in the world.
What is the oldest train cartoon? Ivor the Engine, which first aired in 1959. Its hand-crafted cardboard-cut-out style makes it a real piece of animation history.
Are there train cartoons for older kids or adults? Yes. Infinity Train is the standout, aimed at teens and adults with heavier, more emotional themes than the preschool shows on this list.
Which train cartoon teaches the most? Dinosaur Train and the old Little Engine That Could both lean educational, one on science and natural history, the other on grit and self-belief.
Whether your kid wants gentle bedtime steam engines or transforming robot bullet trains, this genre has a stop for everyone.
So which train cartoon is on repeat in your house right now?
Let me know in the comments.