Train started out in San Francisco with only two members, Rob Hotchkiss and Pat Monahan, performing in coffeehouses and local clubs. After deciding to form a full band, the duo recruited Jimmy Stafford on guitar, Charlie Colin on bass and, at a later date, Scott Underwood as drummer.

By 1997 they went on tour, opening concerts for groups such as the Barenaked Ladies and Counting Crows.

Their first major hit was Meet Virginia from their self-titled 1998 debut. Two later songs which reached number 1 on the Billboard Adult Top 40: the title track from their second album, Drops of Jupiter, and "Calling All Angels" from 2003's My Private Nation.

When Drops Of Jupiter was released in March 2001, the title track "Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)" was already a hit on several Billboard charts. By June 2001, Drops Of Jupiter was RIAA-certified platinum. By April 2002, the single had spent a total of 53 weeks on the Hot 100. It won a Best Rock Song Grammy for Train, as well as a Best Arrangement Grammy for Paul Buckmaster.

Towards the end of 2002 co-founder Rob Hotchkiss left Train and the band's third album, ?My Private Nation?, was released in June of 2003. Bassist Charlie Colin left Train in October 2003. However, in this year (2003) Train Released "Calling All Angels" which is considered as an "Anthem" for the band. Train also released "When I Look To The Sky", which is a song relating to a lost one or if you've lost yourself.

Their song "Ordinary" is featured in the movie Spider-Man 2. This song also drew a younger audience.

In July of 2005, after the song was featured in an advertising campaign for Cingular, the band released "Get to Me" as the final single from "My Private Nation" and it reached number 9 on the Billboard Adult Top 40.

Train began recording their fourth studio album in Atlanta during the summer of 2005. As mentioned on the Chicago radio station WTMX 101.9FM The MIX, they are set to release the first single, "Cab", on November 14th and release the forth-coming "For Me, It's You" album January 31st.