Abstract: As urban rail transit systems expand, commuters' reliance on rail has intensified, drawing increased attention to long-distance and extreme commuting. While scholars have extensively studied rail commuting from diverse perspectives, the multidisciplinary nature of the field has led to fragmented findings, hindering the development of an integrated research agenda. This study draws on existing literature and employs bibliometric methods to categorize rail-oriented commuting behavior into five core research areas: mode choice, emotional experience, physiological perception, activity utility, and simulation prediction. Through an explanatory review, we summarize these areas to provide interdisciplinary insights into evolving commuting dynamics amidst uneven urban development, clarify theoretical lineages, and refine a conceptual framework for future studies.