Muggles would not be able to find and approach the tracks, let alone follow them to Hogwarts. Hogwarts is also Unplottable , and there might be some related spell for untraceability on the train and on the tracks.

In the Harry Potter lore, the Hogwarts Express is generally invisible to Muggles due to powerful concealment charms and the fact that it runs on a hidden track. While the train is a physical, steam-powered locomotive (specifically a GWR 4900 Class), it operates between Platform 9¾ at King's Cross and Hogsmeade Station—locations that are magically "unplottable" and hidden behind barriers Muggles cannot perceive. In The Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron are able to follow the train from their flying Ford Anglia because they are wizards who already know of its existence; however, the book suggests that any Muggle who happened to look up might see a faint, confusing blur or simply have their eyes "slide" past the object due to Muggle-repelling charms. This is similar to how Hogwarts itself appears to Muggles as a moldering old ruin with "Danger: Keep Out" signs. While the train travels through the British countryside, it is protected by a "veil" of magic that ensures the International Statute of Secrecy is maintained, preventing the non-magical public from noticing a scarlet steam engine full of students.