TrainTok: Why Train Videos Are Suddenly Everywhere on TikTok
Trainspotters aren’t just waiting at the end of the platform anymore. They’re on your phone too. The TrainTok trend has more than doubled the number of videos about British trains on TikTok in just three months, and posts tagged #UKTrains are up 247% according to the platform.
What’s Behind the Boom?
TikTok says more people are searching for cheap ticket tips, London Underground facts and stories from railway staff. That has pulled in a new kind of creator: train workers who film content on the side, alongside the usual enthusiasts.
A Tube Worker Shares What He Knows
One of them is Shamal Cain, who posts as Tube Bellingham. He works for Transport for London and shares practical advice for commuters. He noticed that millions of people use the network every day but know surprisingly little about it. Many aren’t sure how to use the TfL journey planner properly, or how to avoid penalty fares when they forget to tap in or out.
So he started explaining what he does at work. Messages arrived almost immediately. Followers asked for alternative routes during disruptions, and some wanted tips on getting a job at TfL.
Niche Topics Find Their Audience
Another big name is Nathan Pinnock-James, known as Network Nathan. The 24-year-old makes educational transport videos covering the best trainspotting spots, new station openings, and even why the shape of the wheels makes DLR carriages wobble. He says many viewers already know what a train is, but they’ve never noticed certain details, and those details surprise them.
For him, that’s the real strength of the app. TikTok pushes very specific topics onto people’s feeds, helping them discover interests they didn’t know they had.
Not Entirely New, and Not Entirely Human
TikTok UK’s Yazmin How says the platform now features everyone from train drivers and tube historians to young fans and comedians, all making transport content fun and easy to follow. The trend itself isn’t brand new. Francis Bourgeois became popular in 2021 after his reaction videos to British locomotives went viral.
However, humans aren’t the only ones contributing. AI-generated clips, such as high-speed trains or passengers tumbling out of Tube carriages, are also adding to the numbers. In late 2025, TikTok revealed it was hosting more than a billion videos containing AI.
Small Passions, Big Communities
TrainTok fits into a wider pattern. TikTok reports that UK history searches have risen 50% in six months, while posts about the National Trust have doubled. As How put it, even a niche passion can build a highly engaged community, and TrainTok is proof.
