The components of high-speed trains, such as wheels, rails, brake discs, and axles, are prone to wear. Laser cladding is an effective way to reduce wear and repair damaged parts. The application status of laser cladding in such components was reviewed. The cladding materials used for various components in the current study were summarized. The performance of different components was summarized. According to the characteristics of different components, the requirements of components for laser cladding performance and the testing methods of cladding performance were analyzed. As for wheels and rails, the cladding layer aimed to improve the wear resistance and anti-rolling contact fatigue performance of the contact surface. As for brake discs, the cladding layer aimed to reduce friction, wear and thermal fatigue. Finally, laser cladding was used to repair the damaged parts of the axle, and the fatigue performance of the repaired axle was emphasized. Several key issues of the practical application of laser cladding in high-speed train components were put forward, including effect of heat-affected zone on the service performance of components, effect of residual stress, low efficiency and high dilution rate of laser cladding and thermal damage of laser cladded components. The current research mainly focuses on the material selection and performance testing of the cladding layer. The theoretical basis for each component considering the structure evolution, residual stress and service performance needs to be established.