Train and Railroad Dream Meaning
Did you have a dream about a train? In this post we’ll share the meaning of dreaming about trains, railroads, train stations, tracks and more with these common train dream interpretation examples.
What it Means to Dream About Trains
There are many common themes we see in dreams of trains. If you have a dream where trains are present, it is helpful to think about whether any of these themes may relate to you in your everyday life.
Some of the common themes we can understand from train dreams:
- Your Path & Journey in Life
- Power & Strength
- Connection
- Stability and Structure
- Setting and Reaching Goals
- Purpose & Mission
- Movement & Motion
- New Opportunities
- Regrets and Failure
In order to best understand which theme is most applicable in your dream, it’s important to think about the details of the dream and the different moods and feelings you might have felt while dreaming of trains.
Your own personal experiences can also greatly influence what the individual meaning might symbolize for you.
How have you encountered trains in real life? Someone who worked professionally in the railroad industry may have a different meaning for someone who has experiences with trains and train cars in a war environment.
If you ride a train in the city to work every day, this is different from someone who lives in a rural setting who hears train whistles from a distance across a river.
All these little things are important to take into consideration in order to understand what this dream means for you. While all of these things may not seem important on the surface, they make a big difference!
In order to have an accurate dream interpretation it is very important to consider the dreamer’s personal experiences with the dream symbol.
The way someone feels about a particular symbol is going to help them understand the way this feeling may manifest in a dream to signify feelings of something in their waking life.
Your Path in Life: Are You on the Right Track?
Dreams about trains can mean you are thinking about the path you wish to travel in life.
To dream of a train can often give you insight on whether you feel like you are on the right track in life or if you feel disconnected from others.
Seeing railroads and train tracks in a dream often means you are thinking about your goals and directions in life.
These roads and pathways in dreams often reflect our own choices and decisions we make each day.
Do you know where you are going or where you want to be in life?
You may be looking for something in your life that offers structure and stability.
Power and Strength
Freight trains and locomotives are very heavy, powerful machines. The average rail car weighs over 200 tons, and when you consider just how many cars can be in a line, many of these processions can easily weigh 5,000 tons or more.
This sheer weight can require a lot of power and strength!
For this reason, many times when a train appears in a dream it can mean that something affects us in a very strong and powerful way.
This is especially true if one notices details such as a loud noise or even the powerful vibrations of a train going past.
Connection to Others & The World
Railroads connect us all across the world. We can travel easily from city to city across countries. Even the individual cars on a train are connected together.
Many trains can go on for hundreds and hundreds of feet long because it is easy to connect different cars to each other.
For this reason, this dream symbol can often appear in our dreams as a sign we desire connection with someone or something.
You may want to connect with new people – or you may want to connect with new opportunities.
You may also be thinking about how to “connect all the dots” in order to get from point A to point B.
Time: History and the Past
Trains operate on a schedule and a strict time table. For this reason, we can sometimes associate trains with timing or even as a symbol for the past, present, and future.
The use of trains and railroads as a form of transportation in our world has a very rich history. Trains exist in nearly all parts of the world.
In times of war, trains were used to transport everything from supplies to prisoners. In these instances, a cargo train may be a symbol for thoughts, memories and feelings we are still carrying from the past.
Trains also played a very important role in economics and delivering materials to others. They made it possible to transport very heavy and large items.
Common Train & Railroad Dream Symbol Meanings
Now that we’ve shared some of the basic common themes, let’s talk about specific instances where you might experience a train in your dream and the dream interpretation for each scenario.
Train Crossing, Signals, and Signs
Signs and signals in our dreams can often be a very literal sign and message. Sometimes these messages come as warnings or simply as an awareness in our consciousness.
If you ever had to sit at an intersection for a long time waiting for a train to pass, you know this can be a very slow and long process.
When you experience waiting for a train to cross in a dream, it could mean you are currently experiencing delays and obstacles in reaching your current goals.
Dreaming of a Long Line of Train Cars
A long line of train cars can mean that you feel like you have a lot of responsibilities or details to pay attention to. You may be feeling stressed or overburdened in your current daily work.
This can also sometimes mean abundance and plenty of new opportunities. You may feel like there is no end or limit to what you are able to achieve. You may be hopeful and optimistic about new possibilities in the future.
Steam or Diesel Engine?
If you happen to notice the engine and first car of the long line of cars, you may notice it is steam powered or even possibly a diesel engine.
If you dream of steam from an engine that runs on water, it could mean that you are blowing steam or even feeling a lot of pent up emotions and frustration.
If you see smoke or ash in the dream, it could mean you are feeling confused or uncertain about your productivity and current goals.
Diesel is a type of fuel, so looking at the dream meaning of gasoline can also be helpful in understanding the dream further. This is especially true if the diesel aspect seems to be an important characteristic of the dream you remember.
Trains Traveling With No Track
Most of the time when we think of railroads, we assume the train will be going down the tracks. Of course, in dreams we are not limited by what happens in our physical reality!
Sometimes you can see a train traveling through the clouds or even across a wide open field with no type of rail to guide it.
This type of dream typically means you are in need of some sort of guidance in some aspect of your life.
Maybe you are not sure whether or not to take a job offer or you are considering making some sort of large change in your life.
You might have some worries about upcoming events and are wondering what you should do.
In these cases, it is often helpful to ask others what they may feel about a specific situation, especially if they have a lot of experience and expertise on the subject matter.
It could be a sign that you just need to find someone to give you a guide to the right direction.
Dreaming of Objects Blocking the Track
Occasionally, we will have a dream where something is blocking the pathway of the track, or there is something we must remove from the tracks.
The obstacle in the dream is often a metaphor for the different challenges and problems we face in our day to day lives.
Take a moment and think about how you feel about your current daily life right now. Are there any challenges you are currently experiencing?
If the objects are small, and relatively easy to clear on your own, then it is usually considered to be a good sign that you will be able to continue on your path without a lot of difficulty.
Are the obstacles large and difficult to move? This could be something like a fallen tree or even a broken down car stuck in the middle of the tracks during the dream.
Often times, when we see something like this, it usually means we are feeling very much stuck or blocked in our current life. You may need to ask others for help in order to overcome this challenge, or you may need to think of a different, more creative solution.
Think about how you felt and reacted in the dream when you realized you would not be able to cross the obstacle. This can give you a lot of clues to discover how you feel about your current life challenges – and maybe even some creative ways to deal with them!
Another possibility with very difficult to cross obstacles is that it is a symbol for a certain person in our life. Is someone standing in your way of your success? Do you feel as if you are confronting someone in your day to day waking life?
Some times these sorts of dreams will reveal new ways to deal with solving problems and resolve conflicts with others.
Passenger Trains: People Around You
A passenger train can reflect that you wish to connect with others, or that you may feel disconnected from others. Think about what type of people are riding with you. Do they have any noticeable characteristics that stand out?
Pay attention to how you feel in the dream – do you feel good about riding with other people or do you feel overwhelmed or crowded? Sometimes people appear in our dreams as a symbol of an aspect of ourselves.
Dreaming of Commuting to work by Subway or Train:
Many people travel by rail to get to work, especially in cities or if they need to travel for business.
If there are any other themes in the dream that relate to working at a job or traveling in a city, it could mean you are considering possible new business ventures.
See related dream symbols: Dreaming of Workplaces and City Dream Interpretation.
Toy Trains:
Another thing to consider is many people also enjoy miniature railroads and model trains as a personal hobby.
We often associate these miniature railroad displays with the holidays, because many people have a tradition of putting a small toy train around their Christmas tree.
To see a toy train in a dream can signify that you might not be taking a very important issue very seriously.
Sometimes, depending on the context of the dream, it can mean that you feel as if others are not respecting you or giving you the credit you deserve.
You might feel like they do not view you as an authority or you may even feel powerless in a situation.
Another possibility is that certain types of toys or miniature railroads may be a symbol for a person you once knew or nostalgic feelings of the past.
For example, I cannot even think of trains without thinking of my uncles who absolutely loved everything about them. As a kid, we often played with toys and would build tracks all around the house.
Waiting at a Train Station
Dreaming of a train station can be a symbol of transformation and waiting. You may be in a place of uncertainty, or you may be wondering what the future may hold. You may be feeling like you are running out of time to make a decision.
Dream Symbol of Cargo Trains
A cargo train is a special type of train which normally transports goods and materials. This can sometimes mean boxcars full of packages, or it can mean oil tank cars on the tracks.
One thing to consider is whether this symbol in the dream might represent anything you are carrying with you. For example, packages in a boxcar could represent different thoughts, feelings, or memories you have.
To understand what the cargo might represent for you, it is helpful to ask yourself what the track might represent. Does the track symbolize a longing to connect with someone or something? Is the track a symbol for your current journey in life?
Double Meanings, Literal Sayings, Idioms and Phrases
Sometimes when we dream of an object, it can actually mean another definition for the word.
For example, training can be something to teach someone new skills. We might train our dog to catch a ball or sit, stay and roll over.
If you ever started a new job, you likely had to spend some time training to learn the way the company works.
This is a literal play on words, where we are seeing a train in our dream because we are experience some form of train-ing in our life.
This is just one example of a meaning. We even see the word train used to describe birds and fashion!
This might be used as a word to describe the long feathery tail of a tropical bird. It could even be used as a word to describe the long piece of fabric that trails behind in formal dresses and wedding dresses in dreams.
Here are a couple of other ways we might encounter these words in life and what they mean – sometimes our dreams can be quite cryptic when you think of the way our brain makes different associations.
Gravy Train:
This is the name of a dog food brand, but also means a way of making a lot of money without a lot of effort and making it for a long period of time.
If you are dreaming of eating gravy or traveling through a river of gravy, this could mean that you are looking for ways to increase your income without working harder.
You may wish to find some sort of stable and steady revenue source for your business that is dependable and will sustain for a long period of time.
Missed the Train:
This is an expression that is often used in reference to missing opportunities. If you miss your ride, you will not be able to get to your destination.
We often hear this expression when we are late for something or we are not able to complete our goals.
Train of Thought:
Ever forget what you are thinking about? This is sometimes referred to a train of thought, because we often tend to link a lot of different thoughts together in one related way. If you get distracted, you might say, I’ve lost my train of thought.
Lucid Dreaming With Trains
If you ever wanted to try lucid dreaming, trains can actually be a great visualization tool to help you learn how to induce lucid dreams. Try this exercise:
Lay down, close your eyes and take a few relaxing and calming deep breaths. Imagine yourself boarding a beautiful train in a peaceful and relaxing setting. As you sit down on the seat of the train, look out the window at all of the different places you pass.
For example, you may see a meadow, or a beautiful city, or the coast line, or even a beautiful mountain scene.
You are the dreamer and the person imagining what to visualize – so you get to see anything you ever wanted to see.
In dreams, the rules of physical boundaries do not apply, so you could even ride the train into outer space and visit a new planet if you wanted to!
This is a great way to practice your creative skills for lucid dreaming, because soon you will learn how to drift off to sleep and visit any place you can think of.
What is your dream interpretation of trains? Do you have a dream about trains you would like to share? Your thoughts and experiences on what it means to dream about the meaning of a train are always welcome in the comments section below!
I have had two dreams lately. The first I was trying to get a train home from London but got on a new rail line and I didn’t recognise any of the stops and didn’t know how to get home.
Last night I dreamed I had a night out in Faversham, I lost all my belongings and could t work out how to get home, no one would let me use their phone to call my parents. So I went to the train station to get a train and the station was flooded so no trains could leave. I was really upset and felt so hopeless, unable to do anything to get home.
Thank you for giving very detailed information about this dream.
What about this: a dream where I felt I was in a foreign country (my mind was saying China) where I was following a group of people across a street, when a train suddenly came flying by in front of me. I stopped to wait for it to pass, only to look left and see it had derailed and was trying to get back on the track. When it finally did clear off, I remember being lost and wandering a sort of village unable to find the group… What would this indicate?
I dreamt I was looking at a powerful locomotive engine in the lobby of a very fancy hotel, and some how someone handed me an ultra modern remote control for it. I pushed a button and two antennas swung out from the sides and the train engine started. I was trying to be very careful not to make the train move or it would had
crashed through the hotel lobby windows. I suspect it has to do with an upcoming IT product training I am scheduled to attend for a new product.
I had a dream where me and my family left from a place and decided to walk home, we went down streets and ended up down a dead end street with train tracks as we started crossing the tracks a train started coming my kids in the stroller felt like they were stuck as I was pushing or pulling don’t remember, but they ended up on my side some family members was on different sides and there was a lot of big metal ruble everywhere.
Often, I dream about trains and train rails. I am never on the train, but on the rails. There are usually many, many sets of railroad tracks real close together. I am trying to get across them without getting hit by a train and there are so many locomotives coming in both directions at different times and at the same time, so I have to be careful which way I move. Sometimes they come off the track and I have to avoid them. I do have dreams that are similar about big trucks that I have to avoid because they are rolling over and coming at me purposely, too. What do these dreams mean?
Last night I was lucid dreaming. It was winter. I heard some screming and went on roftop. It was trains. I was standing on a roftop and seeing two railroads. Than i asked myself: I often see trains in dreams, what does it mean? I asked it out loud but coudn’t figure it out… I saw one train was going to one way, another to different. I thought maybe to jump on one of them, and see what happens but i missed. I think there were people just traveling somewhere. I’m still looking for my path in life, a deeper meaning… maybe this represent it?
Very interesting! Thank you! What about train Derailments? I have a recurring dream about trains and it often includes the train coming off the tracks and causing huge catastrophes.
I m sitting in d train ….in my morning dream…train stops with a jerk…its engine turns right n glides down d track backwards…instead of moving forward or in front …in my dream….means what
I had a dream, that I was sitting near the front of the train, it was a beautiful sunny day. Outside the window was green fields and mountains. I was sitting near few strong elderly men. (I was comfortable) then I started hearing them all start singing, it started from the back of the train then to the front of the train. The song was a different language. One I didn’t know but the song was so beautiful I got emotional. Then the man at the front of the train said it is an old pirate song. That was the end of my dream.
I had a dream where my girlfriend and I were super excited about purchasing a steam locomotive on ranch/farm that had tracks going as far as you can see both directions. The feeling was happy and there were two bells like over a kitchen island where I kept hanging from to ring the bell and kept going in circle around the kitchen island, yet being happy and giggling like little kids. We were looking to purchase the land and the train locomotive. In my reality we are going through trouble where we are about to break up. What’s the meaning of this dream?
I had a dream that I was waiting for a train with many people on a platform at a train station. Due to being impatient I jump in the train tracks to seek for the train. There are many trails buy I confidently stick to one. In my journey I encounter a one empty passenger train trolley. Whilst looking at it a train approaches. With my safety instinct, I get on top of the trolley just before it collides with the train. Due to the momentum of the collision the trolley moves with me on it back to the platform with many people at the train station. When I check to see if the train is still coming, it seems like there never was a train. It disappeared. The people on the platform are still waiting for it.
What does this mean?
This was very interesting. I had to look up my dream because I’ve never dreamt something like this before.
From what I remember I was outside of my house a couple feet away and I realized my house was built over a railroad track. I panicked when I heard a train whistle blow but it came by so fast I couldn’t do anything. So the train completely ran over and demolished my house. I was freaking out cause I didn’t know if my family was inside but I knew my cat Ravyn was.
I remember running to my house screaming, and praying that the train didn’t crush anyone. But more specifically my cat Ravyn loll
when I woke up I felt bad that I thought of my cat a bit more than my family loll but my dreams can be funky like that sometimes.
I had a dream that I was looking out my front door. And in the sky was a train coming out the clouds and I went to the back door and I saw the same train passing by in the sky.
I dreamt of a railroad tracks,I saw cars moving on it. What does that mean?
I saw a train which was moving to different directions but coming back to the same point . When it is just moving out of no importance, it is on roads sometimes inside the city and sometimes in the valleys .
Was just feeling how would I reach my final destination if this train doesn’t reach to the last but one destination on time
Questioned the driver of the steam engine also as to why he is wandering with the train
I have had 3 dreams recently all involving train accidents at a crossing.
1st one I was involved & died, 2nd an old lady that I tried to help but in vain & the 3rd a couple around my age pulled onto tracks where only I could see them. They sat onto of their vehicle and they got hit. This one however I did not try to help them. I walked down the track after the impact to see blood etc but then my path was blocked by a multitude of blank metal gates of which the 1st I peered over.
I dreamt I was on a train and there were floods around and I went into a tunnel and it was all twists and turns all of a sudden there were no tracks and a lot of other things
I just took a nap after a stressful day in college. I was at a railroad crossing I cross everyday. This is a 4 way intersection, and the crossing was to my left. When I came up to the red light all the power was out then my radio truck turned off and my phone was working. Then I remember seeing the railroad crossing arms down. Then I noticed there were railroad crossing arms done men in front of me and to my right (these are not there in real life). So in my dream it freaked me out and I woke up because I felt trapped in these crossings.
My dream was I was pulling a train with a rope and the train went off tracks.
had a dream i sat on a train and two women next to me were warning me that i sat in a seat with a wasp’s nest on the headrest. i got to my destination, the dream went on. Later, i took the train again, and sat in the same seat, forgetting about the wasp nest. The same women were sitting next to me, and warned me again. I then remembered i forgot something and realized i needed to get off the train and go back.
I dreamt I was above watching the city. All of a sudden a steam train hit a person who flew up into the air and nearly landed on me. I woke shaking and breathless. It was so real.
I dream that I was at a railroad crossing once I crossover and turn around to see why the Black Train had fire or flames on the front end. then there was a person on each train steering it
I saw I was on a train traveling across the country suddenly the train went out of the rails crossing in a great speed over the country yard and In a downwards direction I worried that it was going to turn upside down but this never happened . After traveling in a great speed downwards the train finally stop in a very gentle way . Every body was fine and went out to collect their luggage but in the middle of the countryside . I look for my luggage but I was not there and I was told It was supposed to be delivered to me with delay and then I woke up
In my dream I was with my eldest daughter and grandson we were waiting for the train, then as I looked a train came full on and stopped in front of me it was huge so big it covered the entrance to the office . Then as I took my grandson hand the doors closed and his mum was on it but we couldn’t get on it was too fast we were left seeing his mum leave without us .
So I live with my grandma and I keep having the same dream of me and my siblings getting on a train with our real mother I would like to know what this mean
I had a dream my 4 year old had to use the bathroom so we crossed the tracks but her foot got stuck. As I was getting her foot a train was coming from left ( like towards us) then as I got her out the train went on a different track right by us. We were still on the track… What does this mean?
I have this Dream for years….I take the subway to the station but the sub is late.., so I run to the train and just when I make it….the train starts moving and the doors are locked….
What about dreaming of walking in the direction of the train track. I dreamt about walking on a train track since everytime there’s a train that would stop, I always try my best to run towards it and yet goes off fast when I’m already close telling me I’m always too slow. So I just followed the train track even though I do not know where I am heading.
I had a dream that I am in my house that looks like my old house, I was waiting for train, and I had a hint it might come via door breaking it, that’s what happened. I saw train via door, crashing it probably, asked my mother to get away from the way of train. The train passed and after which I crossed, and saw platform and something was on my mind that I do not remember.
l had a dream where I was to get into a train but couldn’t because of a leg problem due to my stuff or problematic lower back. My legs couldn’t carry me into the train.
What do you think saving person from being hit by the train means? If it’s not a close person but some acquaintance.
Hi Hermine, check out our post on characters in dreams as parts of ourselves – that should help give you some more insight on what your dream means!
I had a dream of a newly developed train that traveled at lighting speed around the world in a few minutes. People were gathered inside the gray steel train and everyone was strapped inside tight so as they traveled half way around the world in a few minutes they would be in place. This train took off and I viewed it and am waiting for the next train. Across the tracks is my son with his dog. The train took off so quickly that my son across the tracks with his dog had to press themselves along the walls in order to not be suctioned in from the train. Overall felt very good and thought of all the changes coming in to the world and that I can get to see and be overwhelmed.
Had a dream in which I was been trained on how to drive a train. I failed several time but enthusiastically kept on trying till I woke up.
My train was passing my house in a dream but my whole house was vibrating, and it seemed to go on and on and on ?
I had a dream where I was running in a train station from one train to another, almost missing each one, bumping into people by accident and looking for the right train to get into.
I had a dream where me and my mom were driving a car ON the railroad, as if we were the train, and there was a grey Prius in front of us. At first we were in a forest area but after driving we came to an area where the railroad was right next to a highway of car, going the opposite direction. I looked back and saw a regular train following us. I yelled, “MOM THERES A TRAIN!” And my mom started spending up, the Prius was gonna and we got hit by the train, and then somehow my mom was behind me, i don’t know if she was on the train but she was out of the car, and safe. I opened the car and stepped out, the speed of the train and the wind pushing me to the front of the train, almost pinning me down. I remember seeing what looked like wooden spikes on the front of it and they were pointing towards me. I tried to move and get on top of the train and that’s what i remembered.
I had a dream about a series of cargo trains running on the track, but the interesting thing is that I was trying to collect rocks from the tract.
Collecting rocks is definitely an interesting symbol, and I will have to post soon on the different meanings for rocks and collecting. Thank you for sharing your dream experience with us!
I dream I get on a train that’s transporting goods but it didn’t leave the station and I woke up
My dream with trains has to do with tracks just tracks everywhere and I know there’s a train coming from somewhere and I’m trying to decide where is it going to come from and which track do I need to be off of so I don’t get hit. And then I see a train and I’m desperately looking around to see which track is it on because the tracks are like a puzzle they’re just all over the place and I’m not going to know until the last second if I’m on the wrong track. And even when I know I’m safe and I’m on the right track the train can suddenly change and be barrelling towards me. And I fear a train they’re big they’re powerful and I’m going to lose so I need to stay safe and keep away from them
I’ve been having the same type of dreams and trying to figure out what the heck it means. It’s scary. I dream this a lot but in different backgrounds same thing though tracks everywhere with trains coming and everytime I switch tracks another train is coming a
It’s an Indian village setting.
Along with my mom & sister, we crossed the rail tracks to reach the station. There were thousands of people waiting for the train.
The train arrived as soon as we reached the platform only two compartments to my surprise and it looked quite unusual ( it’s very hard for a normal person to climb the train. The 3 foot steps were very difficult. However, my mom, 65yrs, climbed it and it was very hard for my sister who is in her twenties to catch up. Finally, they managed to get into train and the train left making me feel sad.
I wondered why they have to leave?
Then, I continued to go back in the same path and I saw no one and I wondered how come so many thousands of people squeezed into a small compartments.
As I begin to cross the tracks back again, I saw a person signalling by then a ferocious brown dog wasp pulling my dress ( I think it wanted to attack) but I swinged it up (holding my dress) and threw the dog on another (white)dog which was ferociously running towards me and I woke up. I wonder what does my dream mean?
I have been having a recurring dream like this for two years now, wish I knew what it meant.
I’ve dreamt about big rusty train in a traffic but not crashing with each other. And me waiting and trying to cross on the other side