How do you say “Jump on the bandwagon” in German?

While the English idiom originates from 19th-century American politics, where politicians would literally climb aboard a parade wagon carrying a brass band to attract followers, the German phrase relies on the metaphor of modern rail travel. To 'jump onto the train' conveys the exact same sense of hopping on board an initiative only after it has proven viable and gathered momentum.

Both expressions carry a slightly cynical or critical undertone, implying that the person or company is acting out of opportunism rather than genuine conviction. German speakers very frequently insert the participle 'fahrend' ('auf den fahrenden Zug aufspringen') to accentuate the fact that the movement was already rolling along successfully before the latecomer arrived.