Events in the history of rail transport are organised into the lists below.
18th century
{| border=0
|-
| 1700s
|-
| 1710s
|-
| 1720s
|-
| 1730s
|-
| 1740s
|-
| 1750s
|-
| 1760s
|-
| 1770s
|-
| 1780s
|-
| 1790s
|}
19th century
{| border=0
|-
| 1800
| 1801
| 1802
| 1803
| 1804
| 1805
| 1806
| 1807
| 1808
| 1809
|-
| 1810
| 1811
| 1812
| 1813
| 1814
| 1815
| 1816
| 1817
| 1818
| 1819
|-
| 1820
| 1821
| 1822
| 1823
| 1824
| 1825
| 1826
| 1827
| 1828
| 1829
|-
| 1830
| 1831
| 1832
| 1833
| 1834
| 1835
| 1836
| 1837
| 1838
| 1839
|-
| 1840
| 1841
| 1842
| 1843
| 1844
| 1845
| 1846
| 1847
| 1848
| 1849
|-
| 1850
| 1851
| 1852
| 1853
| 1854
| 1855
| 1856
| 1857
| 1858
| 1859
|-
| 1860
| 1861
| 1862
| 1863
| 1864
| 1865
| 1866
| 1867
| 1868
| 1869
|-
| 1870
| 1871
| 1872
| 1873
| 1874
| 1875
| 1876
| 1877
| 1878
| 1879
|-
| 1880
| 1881
| 1882
| 1883
| 1884
| 1885
| 1886
| 1887
| 1888
| 1889
|-
| 1890
| 1891
| 1892
| 1893
| 1894
| 1895
| 1896
| 1897
| 1898
| 1899
|}
20th century
{| border=0
|-
| 1900
| 1901
| 1902
| 1903
| 1904
| 1905
| 1906
| 1907
| 1908
| 1909
|-
| 1910
| 1911
| 1912
| 1913
| 1914
| 1915
| 1916
| 1917
| 1918
| 1919
|-
| 1920
| 1921
| 1922
| 1923
| 1924
| 1925
| 1926
| 1927
| 1928
| 1929
|-
| 1930
| 1931
| 1932
| 1933
| 1934
| 1935
| 1936
| 1937
| 1938
| 1939
|-
| 1940
| 1941
| 1942
| 1943
| 1944
| 1945
| 1946
| 1947
| 1948
| 1949
|-
| 1950
| 1951
| 1952
| 1953
| 1954
| 1955
| 1956
| 1957
| 1958
| 1959
|-
| 1960
| 1961
| 1962
| 1963
| 1964
| 1965
| 1966
| 1967
| 1968
| 1969
|-
| 1970
| 1971
| 1972
| 1973
| 1974
| 1975
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| 1979
|-
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| 1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
|-
| 1990
| 1991
| 1992
| 1993
| 1994
| 1995
| 1996
| 1997
| 1998
| 1999
|}
21st century
{| border=0
|-
| 2000
| 2001
| 2002
| 2003
| 2004
| 2005
| 2006
| 2007
| 2008
| 2009
|-
| 2010
| 2011
| 2012
| 2013
| 2014
| 2015
| 2016
| 2017
| 2018
| 2019
|-
| 2020
| 2021
| 2022
| 2023
| 2024
| 2025
| 2026
| 2027
| 2028
| 2029
|-
| 2030
| 2031
| 2032
| 2033
| 2034
| 2035
| 2036
| 2037
| 2038
| 2039
|}
See also
- History of rail transport
- Timeline of railway history