AbstractModern railway services are required to deliver good quality services to the passenger throughout the whole journey. These include improved performances, safety, and reduce delays. There is also the requirement for in‐train customer experience such as infotainment and access to reliable communication systems. The railway industry has employed different types and generations of communication systems in recent times. Signaling systems were used at the early stage of the railway services. Today, communication systems such as the second‐generation communication system, also known as the global system for mobile communications (GSM), the Third‐generation (3G) and the Fourth‐generation (4G) are utilized in the railway industry. In this paper, we present a brief history of railway communication systems, their features and applications. In addition, we discuss the technical challenges and potential solutions of in‐train communication systems and how data can be distributed on‐board and between the train coaches using state of the art and hybrid communication technologies.