Patrick Monohan left Erie, Pennsylvania in 1993 after his band dissolved and headed to California. In San Francisco, he met Rob Hotchkiss and this became the nucleus for Train. The original members were Monohan, Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford, Scott Underwood, and Charlie Colin. Brandon Bush and Johnny Colt have also seen time in the band. Monohan, Underwood, and Stafford are the basic members today.

The debut album was simply "Train" and featured a hit with "Meet Virginia," but the second album delivered their international success with "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)." The album "Drops of Jupiter" was a double platinum and the song won two 2002 Grammys. Their second album has been the biggest success so far.

"My Private Nation," which was the third album, was also successful and featured "Calling All Angels." By the time the fourth album was made, Colin and Hotchkiss had left the band. The fans didn't receive the album "For Me, It's You" very well, and the band didn't release anything new for three years afterwards.

In 2009, "Save Me, San Francisco" returned Train to the limelight with not one, but three hits. "Hey, Soul Sister" reached #3, while "Marry Me" and "If It's Love" both made #34. Beginning in 2008, Jerry Becker and Hector Maldonado have been regulars with the group and Ana Lenchantin played cello with them during part of their 2011 tour.