luxury train travel los angeles

Amtrak Guide

By train travelers for train travelers, 15 best amtrak trips from l.a..

With five Amtrak routes arriving and departing from Los Angeles Union Station , and more than 70 Amtrak stations just in California, there are a variety of options for a train trip. You can travel along the California coast on the Pacific Surfliner , journey to the Pacific Northwest on the Coast Starlight , and see the desert on the Southwest Chief .

To start planning your rail adventure, here are the best train trips from Los Angeles. The destinations all have good departure and arrival times from L.A. along with stunning scenery and fun things to do.

Note that cities on the Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited route were not included because the westbound trains arrive in Los Angeles bright and early at 5:30 a.m. If that time is doable for you, be sure to check out the stops on these routes for more trip ideas (including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Tucson and New Orleans).

This website is reader supported and not affiliated with Amtrak. We may earn a small commission from links on this page .

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is about 3 hours away from Los Angeles on the train, making the beautiful city an easy one-night getaway, or stay longer to really experience the area. There is a zoo , harbor , wharf , bike path , coastal park and historic mission to explore. Plus, wine is top attraction that adults can enjoy locally or on a day trip.

When booking your tickets, you can choose between a Pacific Surfliner or Coast Starlight train (the Coast Starlight has roomettes and bedrooms if you want privacy). There are a few hotels and Airbnbs you can walk to from the Amtrak station, and you can use Uber or Lyft to get around so a car rental isn’t required.

San Diego has something for everyone. There are many festivals, concerts and other events that you can plan a trip around. Plus you can party in the Gaslamp Quarter , cruise the harbor , visit the world-famous San Diego Zoo , explore Balboa Park , experience the USS Midway Museum and shop at Seaport Village .

Most attractions are a short walk or Lyft/Uber ride away from the Santa Fe Depot . There is also a ferry to Coronado Island , trolleys and Coaster commuter trains if you want to see more of the area without a car.

Several rental car companies have offices near the Amtrak station, so it’s easy to rent a car if desired. La Jolla is a 20-minute drive away from downtown, and SeaWorld and water sport activities in Mission Bay are only 10 minutes away.

For your departure and return Amtrak trips, there are multiple Pacific Surfliner trains that travel between L.A. and San Diego each day to choose from. Departures start as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 9 p.m.

Grover Beach

Great for the whole family, Grover Beach is a small community with a great beach, dunes nature preserve , winery , escape room , ATV rentals and more. The Pacific Surfliner arrives around 8 p.m. in walking distance of downtown and an Enterprise car rental office (closes at 6 p.m., so plan to get a car on the next day). There are a few motels in walking distance from the Amtrak station, or explore Airbnb options. A large number of hotels are also short drive away at Pismo Beach, where you’ll find outlet stores .

Plan to stay at least two nights as the return train to L.A. departs around 7:15 a.m.

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is a great family getaway or a wine trip that’s 5.5 hours away from L.A. Downtown there is a children’s museum , railroad museum , historic mission , and a charming trail along a creek. For adults, there are many wineries in the area (the Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards has peacocks). With a rental car, you can easily visit Morro Bay State Park , Dinosaur Caves Park , and hike at Valencia Peak and Bishop Peak (both have amazing views).

There is an Enterprise near the Amtrak station; call ahead and make sure they can pick you up from the train station with a car reservation. You’ll also need to make arrangements to stay overnight in San Luis Obispo at least one night. There are hotels downtown and near the ocean. For the return trip to L.A., you choose a Pacific Surfliner or Coast Starlight train. The Coast Starlight offers the best departure time back to L.A., but book your trip early as seats can sell out on this train.

Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a fantastic option for a wine vacation. There are some activities for families , but overall, this destination is best for an adult trip. Visiting wineries is the top thing to do, and there are more than 200 to choose from. Be sure to check out the wine tours and shuttles . Rental cars are also an option with Enterprise . Due to the 6.5 hour train commute and one daily Coast Starlight train, you’ll need to stay overnight at least one night.

San Jose is an urban getaway that is 10 to 11 hours away on the Coast Starlight depending on the direction of travel. The SAP Center (concerts and NHL hockey games) is in walking distance of the Amtrak station along with Arena Green West park. Other top attractions include the Municipal Rose Garden , Santana Row commercial district (pictured above), Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum , and Happy Hollow Park and Zoo .

Trains depart Los Angeles and San Jose mid-morning, so one overnight stay in San Jose is doable if that works best with your schedule.

Oakland/San Francisco

Visit the Bay Area with an Amtrak trip to Oakland on the Coast Starlight . You’ll arrive Jack London Square (pictured above), and you can walk to the ferry that will take you to San Francisco . If you stay in Oakland, check out the Oakland Museum of California , Oakland Zoo , Chabot Space & Science Center , Children’s Fairyland theme park and the local food scene .

Travel time on the train is 11 to 12 hours. Be sure to book tickets to the Jack London Square station (there are multiple Oakland stations to choose from). Trains arrive in the evening and return to L.A. in the morning, so booking accommodations in the city for two nights is best in order to have a full day in Oakland (or San Francisco).

Albuquerque

Head to Albuquerque , New Mexico on the Southwest Chief for a trip full of outdoor and cultural activities. Top attractions include  Sandia Peak Tramway  for panoramic views of the area,  Indian Pueblo Cultural Center ,  National Museum of Nuclear Science  and the  Petroglyph National Monument . There’s also a  zoo ,  botanic garden and trails along the Rio Grande River.

Consider planning your trip around the  Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta , which is a top event in the fall.

The Southwest Chief departs daily from L.A. in the early evening and arrives in Albuquerque 16.5 hours later. You’ll spend one night on the train, and we recommend staying one night in Albuquerque. The train back to L.A. departs late afternoon.

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Book a trip to Las Vegas, New Mexico (not Nevada) for an old west experience. It’s a 20-hour, overnight Amtrak trip, and you’ll arrive in the walkable downtown area in the afternoon. One of the most historic things in town is the Castaneda Hotel next to the Amtrak station. It is one of the few remaining “ Harvey Houses ” that were built along railroads at the turn of the century.

It may be difficult to get a rental car, so walking the city or checking out Southwest Detours tours might be your best option for getting around. You’ll need to stay at least one night; the return train to Los Angeles departs around noon each day.

Klamath Falls, Oregon

Klamath Falls is a 22-hour train trip from Los Angeles. The morning arrival means you can start enjoying the nearby lakes, rivers and waterfalls early in the day. Upper Klamath Lake has a canoe trail , or head to Moore Park and the Link River Trail for waterfront hiking and bird-watching.

For the more adventurous crowd, there’s whitewater rafting on the Klamath River or choose from several mountain bike trails . You can bring bikes on Amtrak , or check out Zach’s Bikes for rentals.

The Klamath Fall Amtrak station is in walking distance of downtown restaurants, a few hotels and an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office. The return train to L.A. departs at night, so you could technically just spend a day here, then get back on the train to sleep.

Trinidad, Colorado

Travel through the New Mexico desert and mountains to reach Trindad, Colorado . The scenery from the train is one the main reasons to book this rail trip. The Southwest Chief arrives around dinnertime and returns to L.A. in the morning, so you can stay just one night, but if you want to explore the town (besides going out to dinner), plan to stay two.

Rental cars are hard to find, so you might need to walk to local attractions, such as the Trinidad History Museum and A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art . The museums, along with restaurants and hotels, are about a 10-minute walk from the Amtrak station. Travel time on the train is 23.5 hours each way.

Eugene, Oregon

Take an overnight trip to Eugene, Oregon, which is 28 hours away from Los Angeles on Amtrak. It’s a great location for getting out in nature with the Williamette River bike trail , Mount Pisgah natural area, McKenzie River National Recreation Trail and Skinner Butte Park . You can also attend a University of Oregon football game , visit the Cascades Raptor Center or go to a show at the Hult Center of Performing Arts .

Trains arrive midday and return to L.A. around 5 p.m., so you could stay one night and have enough time to experience some of the city. The Amtrak station is conveniently in walking distance of Skinner Butte Park and downtown hotels and restaurants (including many local and Asian options), so you don’t have to rent a car. There is an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office nearby in case you want to explore more of the area, or use rideshare services and bike rentals to get around.

Tip: If you depart Los Angeles on Friday, you’ll arrive in time to hang out at the Eugene Saturday Market , which has live music, food and artisan vendors selling local goods.

Portland, Oregon

One hour further up the coast from Eugene on the train, Portland is full of great street food, breweries, unique restaurants and formal gardens. As Oregon’s largest city, there’s also many festivals to check out all year long, such as the International Film Festival, UFO Festival, Oregon Brewers Festival, Waterfront Blues Festival, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival and many food events.

Amtrak trains arrive and depart from Portland in the afternoon via Portland Union Station. You can easily walk to a light rail stop or to downtown, plus Lyft and Uber are options. If you really want to experience the great outdoors, rent a car and drive about one hour to reach the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area .

Almost 34 hours away from L.A. on the Coast Starlight train, Seattle is a cultural urban getaway with many attractions and activities to explore. Grab a coffee and stroll through the famous Pike Place Market , visit the Chihuly Gardens , Museum of Flight , or head to Kerry Park for stunning skyline views of the city.

The train arrives around 8 p.m., and there’s various transportation options in the city once you arrive at the Seattle Amtrak Station . A light rail station is across the street, or take Uber, Lyft or ferry to get around. Plan to stay at least two nights, as the return train to Los Angeles departs in the morning. For cheaper hotel rates, consider an early fall trip.

For a cross-country journey, book tickets on the Southwest Chief for a 43-hour trip to Chicago . You’ll spend two nights on the train and arrive in Chicago in the late afternoon, with views of deserts, mountains and the Great Plains along the way.

In Chicago, there are many museums , live music venues and attractions to explore, including the Willis Tower Skydeck , Navy Pier and Wrigley Field . In the warmer months, you can also visit one of the city’s beaches or take a bike ride along the Lakefront Trail . CTA city trains , Metra commuter trains, water taxis and Lyft/Uber are easy ways to see the sights, so you don’t need to rent a car.

You’ll need to stay in Chicago at least one night, with the option to fly back to California or ride the Southwest Chief or Texas Eagle Amtrak train back to Los Angeles. Note that the Texas Eagle trip from Chicago to L.A. takes about 66 hours, but you’ll see different scenery and cities on this route.

More Information

• Best Amtrak day trips from Los Angeles
• 7 things to pack for your Amtrak trip
• Los Angeles to San Francisco by train
• Los Angeles to San Diego by train

Top photo credit: Image by Steven Cox from Pixabay (San Diego sunrise)

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The best train trips from Los Angeles

All aboard these scenic train trips up and down the coast from L.A.

When it comes to wanderlust, it’s tough to compete with the call of the open road in Southern California. But road trips aren’t your only option: If you’re willing to put in a little bit of extra time and planning, there are a few train trips from Los Angeles that are even more spectacular than their car-based counterparts.

As with standout automobile excursions, we think the journey is just as key as the destination when it comes to train trips. So the routes we’ve selected below all feature pretty stunning coastal scenery, as well as worthwhile cities waiting for you at the end. They also all rely on  Amtrak , and we’ve started each itinerary at Union Station in DTLA (though we’ve noted when additional departure stations are available, as well).

We’ll admit, though, that Southern California’s train trip options are relatively limited—at least using our pretty particular criteria. Just because you  can take a train somewhere doesn’t mean you  should : A route that only runs at night, takes hours more than a car ride and costs more than a flight isn’t really something we can recommend. Therefore, we’ve limited our picks below to the very best of the best—and outlined why a couple of notable destinations didn’t make the cut.

Also, there are a number of nearby cities reachable by Metrolink  (Ventura, Oxnard, Claremont, Orange, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and Solana Beach) that we consider commutes more than proper trips; while they may offer an afternoon diversion and a change of pace, you haven’t really left the L.A. megalopolis. We think they’re still worth exploring, though, which is why we’ve covered many of them in our day trips guide.

🌲  The best secluded Airbnbs near L.A. 🌵 The best desert Airbnbs near L.A.

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Santa Barbara

2hrs 40mins from Union Station

You’ll hug the Central Coast on the final quarter of this easy Pacific Surfliner trip to arguably California’s most scenic coastal city. Once in Santa Barbara , you’ll be let off only a couple blocks from the beach and Stearns Wharf, and even closer to the southern end of State Street, the city’s Spanish-Colonial shopping district. For slightly farther destinations, you can take advantage of bike rentals , bus connections and Zipcar spots, all right at the station.

The Amtrak station also puts you right next to the Funk Zone, a dense cluster of winery tasting rooms best tackled when you don’t have to worry about driving home (you can sample all 24 of them for $200, though you probably shouldn’t in a single day).

Both directions of the Pacific Surfliner schedule offer morning, afternoon and evening trains, though there’s a slightly larger gap in deparatures between the latter two.

Round-trip Amtrak fare from $62; alternative departures available from Glendale, Burbank, Van Nuys and Northridge

3hrs from Union Station

If there’s one “seriously, don’t bother with a car” nearby trip, it’s this one: You can reach San Diego and many of its closer beachfront neighbors in notably less time than driving sometimes, with about 10 departures a day and no need to worry about the persistent traffic getting past Camp Pendleton or the parking prices in San Diego. 

The train follows the 5 for much of the way with one scenic advantage: Once you pass San Juan Capistrano, you’ll travel right on the beach for much of the journey, or at most mere blocks from it (until you reach Torrey Pines, when it heads back inland). If you’re looking for a beachy pit stop along the way, scope out the sand in Oceanside or Solana Beach.

On the San Diego end, you can opt to get off in Old Town, steps from the state’s first European settlement, or—more likely—at Santa Fe Depot, situated right along the Embarcadero. From there, it’s a quick trolley ride ($2.50, day pass $6) to Little Italy, Petco Park and the Gaslamp Quarter or a short bus ride to Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, or you can walk across the street to Broadway Pier and take the ferry to beachy Coronado ($8 each way).

Round-trip Amtrak fare $72; three alternative departures available per day from Glendale, Burbank, Van Nuys and Northridge

A quick note: Amid 2023’s very wet winter and spring, a pair of landslides limited rail service through Orange County for a number of weeks—so let this be a reminder to check the train status before you make any plans.

San Luis Obispo

5hrs 30mins from Union Station

The Central Coast city of San Luis Obispo is the farthest destination where we think taking the train is still a competitively practical option. Yes, it’ll take you about an hour and a half longer than driving, but that comes with a pretty remarkable perk: an ocean-hugging ride along the Gaviota Coast, a 76-mile-long undeveloped stretch of rugged shores just past Santa Barbara that’s otherwise largely inaccessible by car.

When you pull into SLO, the train will drop you off just outside of town, about a half-mile walk (or a few-minute bus ride) from the utterly charming tree-lined Higuera Street. Though you could easily spend all of your time there hopping between the farmers’ market and brewpubs, you can use  SLO Transit  ($1.50) to venture off the main drag and to spots like the Bishop Peak trailhead and the delightfully kitsch Madonna Inn .

The Coast Starlight is the quickest (and cheapest, if you book it early) option, though it only has one morning departure per day from Union Station, Burbank and Van Nuys. The Pacific Surfliner takes an extra 20 minutes or so from DTLA but—in addition to the stops above—includes two departures a day from Glendale and Northridge. Both lines take the same amount of time on the way back.

Round-trip Amtrak fare from $68; three alternative departures available per day from Burbank and Van Nuys, two from Glendale and Northridge

What about San Francisco? Palm Springs? Or the Grand Canyon?

We’ll cut right to it: There’s no train from Los Angeles to San Francisco . Amtrak offers a mash-up of train and bus combinations to get there, but they’re simply not worth your time or money. You  could take a train directly to Oakland , but it’s an 11-and-a-half-hour ride that’s mostly boring past SLO and, well, see above about time and money. We’d say the same of the eight-hour FlixBus ride, which often isn’t any cheaper than the hour-and-a-half flight. Eventually, California’s high-speed rail project will provide a one-seat link between the two cities that’s under three hours, but that’s—optimistically—another decade or more away. 

Palm Springs  also doesn’t quite make sense by train. The two-and-a-half-hour trip actually sounds pretty tempting—until you notice that it only runs three days a week and will drop you off just after midnight at a station surrounded by desert sand that’s about five miles north of downtown. Plus, you’re probably going to want a car anyway to explore the sprawling, often-scorching city. 

Similarly, the Grand Canyon would earn a spot on our list if not for the timing. There’s only one Southwest Chief train that runs to the nearby city of Flagstaff each day, and given that the 10-hour-plus trip (with an extra hour on the way back) is an overnight route, there’s not much to see along the way. If you don’t want to take the desert drive, consider an hour-and-a-half flight to Flagstaff and then a  scenic train ride  from neighboring Williams to Grand Canyon Village.

And as for even farther flung destinations? Though the stretches near Mount Shasta and Upper Klamath Lake are scenic, the 34-hour trip to Seattle isn’t nearly exciting enough to tackle by train. And the 43-hour journey to Chicago ? Those are two days much better spent  in Chicago.

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7 Best Train Rides Leaving From Los Angeles

There is nothing like riding the rails. Train rides are enjoyable experiences for everyone, no matter what age they are. With the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles traffic, you may not realize there are many day trips and vacations you can access by train while getting to experience the Southern California scenery like never before.  

Trains are a great option to leave the stress and worry behind for a while, whether you make a date out of it, go as a family, or treat yourself to some alone time. Here are the seven best train trips from Los Angeles!

1. Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a great trip for anyone wanting to enjoy a train ride and explore the city. 

It’s around a three-hour ride from LA, making it a great option for anyone who wants a quick getaway. There are many things to do, including visiting the harbor, zoo, coastal park, maritime museum, and wineries. There are also several tour options.

Hike along the Cold Spring Tavern to experience a piece of history while enjoying nature. Ride along the beach on the Cabrillo Bike Path or enjoy the sand and greenery at Shoreline Park. The Museum of Natural History has various artifacts and specimens from several fields of science, from paleontology to astronomy. 

You can choose between Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner or Coast Starlight Trains to get there. Both have daily routes from LA to Santa Barbara that allow you to enjoy a day and night in the city before returning home the next morning. 

This is a great option for anyone who wants to try out a train trip, as the Starlight can get you to Santa Barbara in under two hours. 

Photo By – Hotels.com

2. San Diego

There’s so much to do in San Diego, and it is just a train ride away. 

You can ride a Pacific Surfliner train from Los Angeles, which provides an inexpensive option to enjoy the harbor, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, the USS Midway Museum, and the shops at Seaport Village. The city is also known for concerts and festivals you can plan your trip around. 

Your train experience doesn’t end when you arrive in San Diego. You can view the county through the COASTER commuter rail line. Take the ferry to Coronado Island or visit SeaWorld to view Mission Bay’s watersports activities. 

Expand your knowledge by visiting the hands-on exhibits during an Old Town San Diego tour. Walk along Point Lorna to get great views of the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. 

The commute is around four hours one way, allowing you to relax and enjoy the views before exploring the city. 

Photo By – Times of San Diego

3. San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is a charming town you can easily access via the Pacific Surfliner, making it an ideal Los Angeles train ride.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery on the five-hour journey before dinner at Tacos de Acapulco or the Big Sky Cafe, which provides world-famous farm-to-table cuisine. 

You can take a car along the scenic coastline via Route 1 before enjoying old-school entertainment at the Sunset Drive-In movie theater. 

Something you won’t find anywhere else is Bubblegum Alley. This unique walkway takes chewing gum litter and turns it into art pieces you can admire even if you get a little grossed out. 

You can walk around the quaint town and indulge in a glass of wine before hitting the open trails to walk or bike. 

Photo By – Winetraveler

4. Travel Town Railroad/Griffith Park & Southern Railroad

The Travel Town Railroad is one of two miniature railroads in Griffith Park. This tiny train takes riders around the perimeter of the Travel Town Museum twice and is a fun activity for families. 

The 45-year tradition provides an enjoyable ride through scenery before allowing you to explore dozens of historic train cars. 

The Griffith Park & Southern Railroad is a similar locomotive at the museum that takes riders along a one-mile route through a forest in an old western town. The museum also hosts a T-6 simulator for all ages to try. 

Both trains operate through a holiday light festival each year, allowing you to ride the rails and get into the holiday spirit. 

You can access this train ride without leaving LA, as the museum is located right outside Glendale.

Photo By – Discover Los Angeles

5. Grover Beach

The best train trips in Los Angeles offer something for everyone. Grover Beach is an excellent community for families, with a great beach, nature preserve, and ATV rentals for riding the dunes. Head over to the Locked Inn escape room for some indoor entertainment. If you’re looking for a thrill, Skydive Prisma Beach is an opportunity to freefall with amazing views. 

Grover Beach is a stone’s throw away from San Luis Obispo, and you can access it via an Amtrak train that makes daily stops in the area from LA. 

Check out the Monarch Butterfly Grove to see these winged beauties from late October through February. Afterward, visit the Monarch Grove Winery for a toast. 

Be sure to stop by Doc Burstein’s Ice Cream Lab, where you can enjoy traditional and unique flavors. You can also learn about the ice cream-making process through its creamery tour. 

The trip is around four hours one way, and you should plan to stay at least one night, as the return train to Los Angeles departs around 7:15 AM.

Photo By – California Beaches

6. Paso Robles

Wine lovers should consider taking a relaxing train ride to Paso Robles. The city is home to over 200 wineries and offers shuttles and tours, making it a great destination for couples. 

When the sun goes down, you can enjoy a romantic walk through the Field of Light at Sensorio, a breathtaking outdoor art experience.

There are several museums throughout the area where you can learn about its rich history. Paso Robles is also home to various farms that offer tours and workshops, allowing you to embrace local agriculture. 

Margarita Adventures offers many outdoor activities, including horseback riding, zip lining, wildlife excursions, and kayaking tours. To enjoy the local vineyards and other sites, consider renting a car and seeing the sights along Route 46 East. 

If you enjoy time on the green, visit the Hunter Ranch Golf Course to play a relaxing round. 

You can take the 6 ½ hour trip from LA via the Coast Starlight train, and you should plan to stay at least one night as there is no same-day return trip.

Photo By – Travel Lens

7. Bay Area

If you want to indulge in the state’s landscape, you can enjoy a 12-hour ride north on the Coast Starlight to the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Once you travel from LA to Oakland, you can visit the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, and the Chabot Space & Science Center. You can catch the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco, which offers almost limitless activities. 

You can visit and observe various art forms throughout the city. Head to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or the Exploratorium for interactive exhibits. See sights like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, or take a photography tour to capture amazing images to remember. 

You can also stroll through the botanical gardens or ride cable cars through the city. Visit Twin Peaks to get an excellent view of the entire city.

Photo By – Visit California

For more staycation and trip ideas, check out our travel page to find your next destination!

Beth is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind. She is a well-respected writer in the personal wellness space and shares knowledge on a variety of topics related to travel, fitness, and nutrition. In her spare time, Beth enjoys trying out new recipes and going for runs with her dog. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush!

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The Best Train Trips From Los Angeles

Planes and cars are so commonplace for taking trips that we forget about the historical, OG mode of transportation: trains. What better way to get sweeping views of the country, and up and down the coast than to sit leisurely on a cushioned seat by the window? There are day trips to oceanside cities, and longer journeys that will take you all the way to Chicago. One of the trains is even equipped with a movie theater! Here are our favorite train trips from Los Angeles, and as always, let us know yours in the comments.

DAY AND WEEKEND TRIPS

That beautiful beach view you get going on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner to San Diego ( Photo by Alba via the Creative Commons on Flickr ) San Diego

One of our favorite day-trips (weekend even) is taking the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from L.A.'s Union Station all the way down to San Diego. Without having to sit through all that 5 Freeway traffic, which can be hellish sometimes on the weekends, you get a stunning and peaceful view of the ocean as you roll down Pacific Coast Highway in about two hours. Plus each of the seats (yes, even the coach ones!) come with individual plugs so you can charge your phone while you use their free WiFi (though spotty at times) to catch up on...Facebook and stuff.

You can have two very different adventures depending on which stop you take in San Diego. There's Solana Beach, the much chiller bro of San Diegan life, and then the Sante Fe stop, which can get you into the city's much more metropolitan-meets-nightlife downtown scene. They cost about $30 to $40 a ticket each way.

The Solana Beach stop is in walking distance from a bunch of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and stores. There's SoCal fave Pizza Port , right across the street where you can grab a delicious slice of pizza (may we suggest The Carlsbad with pesto, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and feta?) and wash that down with a pint of cold beer that they brew themselves. Walk east and you'll hit the adorable Cedros Street, that has another outstanding brewery, Culture Brewing Co. ; and a homey and sustainable brunch hotspot, Claire's on Cedros , where you can get a variety of egg benedicts to chilaquiles and specials, like a haunting shrimp 'n' grits dish with chorizo. You can even get a rocking concert under your belt at the iconic Belly Up , where you can see musical acts from the likes of The Psychedelic Furs to Twin Shadow. During the summer months, you'll find lots of people visiting this Solana Beach station to make their way over to the Del Mar Races and San Diego Fair, held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds , which is just a short Uber ride away. Fair warning though, it gets crowded during this time and you might just want to spring for a Business-Class seat.

Santa Fe Depot station in San Diego ( Photo by Prayitno via the Creative Commons on Flickr ) SD's Union Station (aka Santa Fe Depot) is a charming, historical, Spanish Colonial Revival-style station that's centrally located in the city's downtown area. The best part is that it's close by to the trolley station, which can take you to the Gaslamp Quarter for restaurants (French spot Cafe Chloe's a great place for a romantic dinner), bars (enter Prohibition bar through a lawyer's office facade, The Field Irish Pub for an Irish coffee and a boxty, and Vin De Syrah for an Alice in Wonderland -type experience), or Petco Park for a ball game. Suffice to say, you can stay pretty entertained while you're out there. —Jean Trinh

SLO from atop San Luis Mountain. (Photo by Julia Burge via Facebook ) San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo (aka SLO) is a smallish, charming college town about 200 miles up the coast from Los Angeles—an approximate 5 to 5 1/2 hour journey from Union Station on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner (you'll probably want to make this a weekend getaway). It costs about $40 one way. The trip in itself is a delight; the train weaves through the jagged Old West desert of Simi Valley and the sprawling fields of Ventura County, before reaching the Pacific Ocean, where it'll stay for a large part of the rest of the trip. The train tracks are laid atop cliffs that tower above the sea, dramatically hugging the jagged coastline. Last time I was on this route, it was so clear I saw a school of dolphins.

Your first stop in SLO is less than two miles from the train station: the best restaurant in the world (this native isn't biased) is Tacos de Acapulco . Get the carne asada burrito—you won't be sorry. The train station is pretty much on the outskirts of what's considered "downtown" SLO, and a short walk to all the places you could possibly want to go to eat, drink, and amble about over the course of a weekend. For an incredible selection of local wines and an always fantastic, ever-changing catch-of-the-day, check out Big Sky Cafe —it's a great spot for breakfast, too. Cafe Roma , right across the street from the train station, has the best lasagna my dad's ever had (and the man knows lasagna). The pappardelle, pizza, and yes, more local wine, is excellent, too. If you need a break from eating, check out Boo Boo Records for music—old, new and weird. Pop into Phoenix Books next door and meander through the stacks of used books (there's even an entire section devoted to 'Smut'). After all this eating and shopping, you've damned well earned a drink. Sidecar has a ridiculous cocktail list with a solid happy hour, and the Frog and Peach Pub , while it can have a slightly college bro vibe sometimes, is a lovely spot to sip a pint on a sunny patio by the creek.

We'd be remiss not to include the infamous Madonna Inn , a decadent paradise of kitsch. If you can get a room, absolutely make it your lodgings for the weekend—you can even specifically search for and book rooms with features like rock wall showers and waterfalls. But if you come up against a cruel "No Vacancy" sign, you can still pay the inn's dining room a visit, and sit at the bakery for a slice of pink champagne cake . —Devon McReynolds

A spread at La Super-Rica (Photo by Julian Cassaday via Facebook ) Santa Barbara

The trip to Santa Barbara, also via the gorgeous scenery of Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route, takes about 2 1/2 hours from Union Station, with one-way tickets running at about $30. You could potentially make this into a day trip, but if you want to keep things leisurely, stretch it into a weekend.

Let's cut right to the chase: if you don't eat at La Super-Rica ; a favorite restaurant of Julia Child (and probably everyone who's ever been there), there's no hope for you here on this earth. Sorry. (The best part is that it's only about 1.5 miles away from the Amtrak stop.) However, there's no shortage of amazing Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara, and Rudy's Restaurant No. 1 is another classic choice, and nearby.

Despite its cringe-inducing name, another part of town you should check out is the The Funk Zone , the "arts, business, and industrial district" directly adjacent to the Santa Barbara train station. There are dozens of galleries, restaurants, bars, and fancy coffee shops, not to mention local microbreweries, wineries, and even a craft distillery . Hot local tip: there's also gym in the Funk Zone where NBA players have been known to work out in the off-season. If you want to get physical yourself while you're in Santa Barbara, the Funk Zone is also host to a number of surf-related rentals, like Stand Up Paddle Sports . Here's a handy directory of everything included within the Funk Zone.

Speaking of the beach, there's obviously some fantastic seafood to be had in Santa Barbara. It's not hard to find upscale places to get your fish fix; there's Bouchon and of course Tydes Restaurant , located right on the beach in the Four Seasons. But if you're looking for something casual, but just as fresh and delicious, the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company located right on the pier, can't be beat when it comes to shrimp, oysters, and crab.

While laying on the beach and eating shrimp all day personally sounds like my idea of a good weekend, if you want to actually "do" something else, the Santa Barbara Zoo is an option, and has been ranked among the nation's best small zoos. —Devon McReynolds

LONG JOURNEY

Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon (Photo by Jean Trinh/LAist) Grand Canyon

There's something kind of magical about taking a train to see one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We highly recommend choo-choosing to take a long trip from L.A. to the Grand Canyon via train, which includes riding on an Amtrak and the historic Grand Canyon Railway, plus making a stop in a town along Route 66. It doesn't get more Americana than this!

You would start your trip at L.A.'s Union Station and then take a 9.5-hour ride on Amtrak's Southwest Chief train to Williams Junction in Arizona. A one-way coach seat will cost you $70. It's mostly an overnight ride so you can get some shuteye (we suggest upgrading to a roomette if you can so you can get a bed), but you might get some views of different cities if there's still light out in the early evening and early morning. And the best part is that depending on what time you go, you can grab a meal (I got a delicious steak for dinner with beer when I went) in their dining cars. If you're not a group of four, they might pair you up with strangers at the table, which can make for some fun conversations.

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When you arrive at Williams Junction, you'll get shuttled over to Williams, where you can connect onto the Grand Canyon Railway . It's a gorgeous black retro train that will take to you the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on a ride that will take a little over two hours. The cheapest tickets cost around $65 round trip plus $15 to enter Grand Canyon National Park. Here you can go on hikes, have some California condor sightings, check out a cheesy but enjoyable screening about the Grand Canyon at an IMAX Theater, and go on tours. If you'd like a little more guidance, the Grand Canyon Railway website also offers packages for tours and hotel stays.

If you have some time to spare, spend half a day in Williams before you head back to L.A. There's a delightful Bearizona wild animal park where you can go on a bus tour to see bears, rams, goats and all sorts of animals in the wild. You'll also find Route 66-type restaurants that would make Guy Fieri proud, like the Grand Canyon Coffee & Cafe , where you can diner food as well as Chinese and Mexican dishes.

We suggest reserving tickets for everything ahead of time since this trip requires many different destinations. Hey, and if you'd rather someone put together this whole train trip for you, Amtrak offers this trip and then some as a package vacation deal . —Jean Trinh

DESTINATION TRAIN

(Photo by Jen Carlson/LAist)

Seattle and San Francisco

Amtrak's Coast Starlight is the gem of their fleet, and luckily, you can catch it right at Union Station. The route runs from L.A. to Seattle, or vice versa, but you can hop on and off as you please, and the sweetest sections come right after boarding on the California end. This train trip is more about the journey than the destination, as it should be. But it's also about the views and complimentary wine tastings.

After rolling inland for a bit after leaving Union Station, you'll pop out right at the coastline, and continue to ride along the waterfront on what is essentially PCH for trains. Seriously, you will practically be in the ocean:

While you can take shorter trips (to Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo), if you want to splurge and have some more time, we recommend heading all the way to San Francisco, and getting a roomette in the sleeper car. Even though the trip is only 11 hours, the sleeper car ticket (which ranges in price, usually anywhere from $100 to $170 one way) will get you the benefits you'll want. On top of getting your own room, which includes two seats (and when transformed: two beds) you'll have your own window. But (and this is a huge downside) they don't let you reserve which room (or which side of the car) so you may not be on the ocean side.

With a sleeper car ticket you'll also get access to the special dining car, where you are not forced to sit with strangers, as you are in all of Amtrak's other dining cars. It also has a bar, and better food than the other routes we've been on. With your sleeper car ticket you'll also get free meals, and complimentary wine tastings, so expect to spend a lot of time here (though you can also have meals served in your roomette). This dining car, by the way, is one of Amtrak's last remaining mid-century Parlour Cars , and there is a movie theater downstairs! Elsewhere, you'll even find an old arcade room.

The views on this train remain pretty spectacular all the way up to Seattle, but if you're just looking for a short trip, we really can't recommend this one enough, even if just for a few hours. —Jen Carlson

New Orleans

The Sunset Limited is Amtrak's Southernmost U.S. route, taking you three days a week from Union Station all the way to New Orleans with stops in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This ride lasts about 48 hours and travels 1,995 miles, and a one-way coach ticket will cost around $300.

A lot of this route is through the vast desert, with views including the infamous Salton Sea and the Rio Grande. The train makes stops in Alpine, Texas—home of Big Bend National Park—and Tucson. There's also a longer stop in San Antonio, where you can grab some Tex-Mex and a cold beer before crossing the Sabine River and pulling into Louisiana, where your scenery becomes decidedly more swampy.

As part of Trails & Rails, a partnership with the National Park Service, you can also download and listen to podcasts that correspond with your trip, acting as a guide.

It's a long trip, though you will have access to the dining car, which serves a variety of American food—nothing particularly fancy—beverages, snacks and alcohol.

When you get off in New Orleans, you'll find yourself not too far from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome , and only about two miles from the French Quarter and Jackson Square , accessible via a 20 minute bus ride. —Juliet Bennett Rylah

Chicago's Union Station (Photo by Michael Perry via the Chicagoist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) Chicago

Amtrak's Southwest Chief runs daily from Union Station in downtown L.A. to Union Station in downtown Chicago. Take everything we said about the Amtrak train to the Grand Canyon, and go further. This is a beautiful trip where you'll see those amber waves of grain, mountains, a little desert and the Mississippi River. From the train's observation car, you'll be able to see some of the more scenic legs of your journey and vendors often set up shop along the route in Albuquerque—where the train has its longest stop—to sell goods.

This trip takes over 40 hours, costing about $170 for a one-way coach ticket, with access to the dining car. Arriving in Chicago, you'll be able to see the Chicago River, and you'll be near the "L" to whisk you to your accommodations. Depending one the season, you may find yourself leaving sunny L.A. for the wintry Midwest, so pack accordingly. —Juliet Bennett Rylah

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The last overnight train between L.A. and S.F. ran in 1968. A startup wants to bring it back

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The last time an overnight train connected Los Angeles and San Francisco was 55 years ago.

A Newport Beach-based startup wants to turn back the clock with its version of a “hotel train.”

The luxury overnight train could soon provide a new way to travel between San Francisco and L.A., if Dreamstar Lines Inc. can get its plans approved by California rail lines.

The idea for the privately run night train would function as an almost railway red-eye, but with comfortable accommodations so people could get a full night’s sleep before waking up at their destination, said Dreamstar CEO Jake Vollebregt. If the small company’s plan moves forward, he said the new trains could be running by the summer of 2024.

“I think it would represent a renewal of rail,” Vollebregt said. “For those travelers who have had enough of the security checks and the waiting and the delays [on airlines] , we’ll be appealing to them.”

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Dreamstar hopes to tap into just a small portion of the massive market for travel between two of California’s largest cities.

Travel between L.A. and San Francisco has become one of the nation’s busiest flight routes, according to recent statistics from OAG Aviation . More than 250,000 airplane seats a month fly between the two cities, OAG data show; Dreamstar plans to provide private rooms for about 65 people per trip — far less than a commercial flight.

Vollebregt said Dreamstar’s service would be “more like a private jet company than a big airline,” focused on the specialized niche of “upscale, overnight, hotel train service.” Its night trains would travel in each direction, departing around 10 p.m. and arriving the next day around 8 a.m., Vollebregt said.

The five or six sleeping cars would offer three types of private rooms: single roomettes, executive-class double bedrooms or first-class staterooms — the latter two having private bathrooms — and a car for drinks, dessert and continental breakfast, he said. The trains would have multiple stops in both L.A. and San Francisco, startup officials said, and a stop and crew-change point in San Luis Obispo.

One-way tickets would cost about $300, $600 and $1,000, depending on the tier of room, which Vollebregt said is higher than typical airfare, but below other North American sleeper trains .

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An overnight passenger train — Southern Pacific’s LARK — ran between the two influential California cities for about two decades beginning in the 1940s, but the service ended in 1968. Amtrak in the 1980s began operating an overnight train from Sacramento to L.A. that stopped in Oakland, but it lasted only two years.

Amtrak currently offers a variety of long-distance travel across California during the day, but none direct from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The Coast Starlight connects L.A. to Oakland and Emeryville, while the San Joaquin route goes from the same Bay Area stops to Bakersfield, but requires a separate bus trip to get to L.A.

“For day trips, travelers have limited options for morning arrivals in either direction or flying up the night before,” Vollebregt said. “Why not a night train so travelers can sleep and wake up at their destination?”

He said the “gold standard” for the concept is based on Japan’s well-run railway system , which he called “very prompt and comfortable and very affordable.” He hopes his team can bring that concept to California, and eventually expand between other metropolitan areas.

But the next step, Vollebregt said, is getting approval and support from necessary stakeholders and railway operators, which includes Union Pacific, which owns most of the Coast Line route the train hopes to use, as well as Metrolink in Southern California and Caltrain closer to San Francisco.

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Officials from both Union Pacific and Metrolink confirmed they are in talks with Dreamstar representatives, but neither has reached any type of agreement yet. It wasn’t immediately clear if talks had started with Caltrain.

“The biggest challenge is getting buy-in from the agencies and the private companies that own the lines and the terminals,” Vollebregt said. He is hopeful to begin services in the summer of 2024, but said “it depends on how quickly our partners are willing to move.”

Scott Johnson, a spokesperson for Metrolink, said Dreamstar representatives had recently “presented very high-level plans for the proposed service.”

“More in-depth details and analysis would be needed for the service to move forward,” Johnson said in a statement.

Vollebregt admits there are still a lot of questions about the venture, including how scalable and sustainable it would be as a business, as well as nailing down the physical infrastructure and logistics. But he said Dreamstar has spent years researching the feasibility and is confident in its current plans.

“This is one of the biggest travel markets in the country, with more than 10 million airline passengers annually and around 40 million total travelers,” Vollebregt said. “A night train would be sustainable with less than a quarter of a percentage point of market share, which would support ridership well above that.”

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Grace Toohey is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times covering breaking news for the Fast Break Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Sentinel and the Advocate in Baton Rouge. Toohey is a Maryland native and proud Terp.

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Construction on Brightline's High-speed Rail Between Los Angeles and Las Vegas Is Officially Underway

The Brightline West groundbreaking, on Earth Day, took place at the site of a future station in Las Vegas on Monday.

Courtesy of Brightline West

Construction of a high-speed railway between southern California and Las Vegas officially broke ground on Monday, bringing the West Coast one step closer to a sustainable transportation option between the two states.

The Brightline West groundbreaking, on Earth Day, took place at the site of a future station in Las Vegas, the company shared with Travel + Leisure . Following the groundbreaking, the project is expected to take about four years to complete.

“This day is a major milestone in building the future of American rail and the jobs that come with it,” Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a Facebook post , adding , “We're investing in the future of America's passenger rail system — funding high-speed rail projects in the West and enhancing service for communities across the country.” 

When it is finished, the railway will feature an all-electric, 218-mile train service connecting Las Vegas with the Los Angeles area . The flagship station will be located in Sin City with additional stations located in Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga, California.

The train is expected to travel with speeds up to 200 mph and take about two hours to get between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga. Work on the high-speed rail line started earlier this year with field investigation work, including along I-15 in California.

The project is part of a larger investment from the Department of Transportation (DOT), which allocated $8.2 billion in funding for several key rail projects across the country.

Beyond the West Coast, Brightline has built several high-speed train routes in Florida. The company, which first launched there in 2018 , offers service to popular cities like West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, and Orlando. The company plans to add a brand-new station on the Treasure Coast in Stuart, Florida, in the second half of 2026.

Brightline also recently partnered with Princess Cruises in Florida to make getting to the port easier with a new “Rail & Sail" service.

Plans for private San Francisco-Los Angeles overnight sleeping car service revived

N EWPORT BEACH, Calif. - The company seeking to start a luxury sleeping car train between downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles Union station says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Union Pacific "formalizing the parties' negotiations toward a comprehensive final agreement" to begin operations by 2025.

A press release issued by Dreamstar Lines Inc. on March 23 says "the service will feature state-of-the-art sleeping cars with private rooms with lie-flat beds, en-suite showers, high-speed internet connectivity, on-board food, beverage, and hospitality services and "last mile" transportation, ensuring a seamless, peaceful, and hassle-free passenger experience."

Working with UP

In emailed responses to Trains News Wire questions, Dreamstar co-founders Joshua Dominic and Thomas Eastmond say the company's discussions with Union Pacific were restarted last year after initial talks in 2018.

"We have provisionally identified terms for track access payments that will work for both of us," they write. Regarding liability insurance, they say, "UP requires roughly the amount of the statutory cap on passenger rail damages. Our broker has sourced the necessary insurance stack; the premium isn't cheap but fits within our model."

Dominic, the company CEO, says in the release, "Dreamstar officials expressed their appreciation towards their counterparts at Union Pacific," adding, "We've been really impressed with their willingness to think creatively about how we can work together for the benefit of both our companies and the public."

The memorandum of understanding follows UP's cooperation with another private operator, Rocky Mountaineer, on the Colorado route that also hosts Amtrak's California Zephyr. Like UP's Coast Line that Dreamstar would utilize, it is not a main freight corridor, and thus has extra capacity and scheduling flexibility to handle a passenger train making a leisurely trip.

Seeking bilevels

Regarding equipment acquisition, Dominic writes, "We are currently weighing different options, and focused on finding the right cars and right partners to develop train cars designed to provide a relaxing and comfortable environment for sleeping. We intend to remanufacture existing bilevel cars.  We have a couple of potential sources for those that we're talking with."

Amtrak‘s Superliners are the only bilevel sleepers currently operating, but from time to time other operators have floated plans for utilizing carbodies and shells of bilevel commuter coaches as a platform for modern sleeping and lounge cars.

The most extensive luxury upgrading of overnight lounge, dining, and sleeping cars began with the American European Express single-level Heritage conversions of 1989, which initially operated on the rear of Amtrak's Chicago-Washington Capitol Limited. That equipment eventually morphed into American Orient Express and Grand Luxe special trains. Colorado Railcar was working on bilevel designs when the company went bankrupt in 2008. With only a handful of exceptions, most of the Grand Luxe rolling stock has since been gutted or scrapped.

Regarding motive power, Dominic says, "We're currently exploring different locomotive options. We’ve had some interesting discussions with manufacturers about zero-emissions locomotive technology, and it’s looking like that tech will be ready for our [later] expansion stage. Currently, we’re looking at either leasing or purchasing existing motive power. We like the more environmentally friendly options, but need to make sure it can meet the operational requirements to provide our service. Much of what we have seen so far has focused on much shorter distance routes. Otherwise we'll use standard diesel-electric locomotives to start the service, either leased or acquired, and rebuilt from passenger operators that are currently in the process of replacing their motive power fleet."

Overnight history and fares

Dreamstar is also "working toward an agreement" with Metrolink, a tenant at Los Angeles Union Station, and Caltrain, which would afford access directly to downtown San Francisco. This would enable Dreamstar to recreate the overnight "downtown-to-downtown" convenience of Southern Pacific's Lark that operated until April 1968.

When Amtrak relieved SP of its passenger trains in May 1971, the former Coast Daylight was rerouted east of San Francisco Bay at San Jose, Calif., to Oakland, and extended north to Seattle as the Coast Starlight. California's state-supported Spirit of California briefly offered a Sacramento-Los Angeles overnight Coast Line alternative between Oct. 25, 1981, and Sept. 30, 1983, with one or two heritage sleepers and Amfleet equipment. But the train was dropped when the state's new Republican governor pulled the plug on funding.

Today, Dreamstar envisions an attractive market opportunity. "[Fares] will be on the low end of overnight rail travel in North America," says Dominic. "We are still working on final pricing, but we are aiming for our walk-up fare to be competitive with the cost of an airline ticket bought within the typical business travel window, less than three weeks before departure, or the cost of a flight with advance purchase plus a hotel. We’re also looking at family accommodations that are aimed to be less than airfare for a group of four or more. If demand comes in at the higher end of our projections, we may be able to get pricing even lower," he suggests.

Asked about the press release's mention of the company "exploring an auto transport service, allowing passengers to use their vehicles at the end of the overnight journey," Dominic says, "We're aiming for a customer experience where you pull up to the station and board the train, and when you exit the train your automobile will be waiting for you in the parking lot."

The Dreamstar CEO says a small amount of capital has been raised from private investors. "Following the MOU, we anticipate raising funds with angel investors, early stage funds, and institutional investors. Future expansions may take advantage of public private partnerships. We're using almost exclusively existing infrastructure so the capital requirements are much lower compared to a project involving new track construction. We are taking a long-term view to building our service and it is important we work with similarly minded financial partners," says Dominic. He tells News Wire that he cannot speak publicly to the total amount yet, "but it is a number we believe our investors will find compelling versus traditional railroad development costs."

The original plan the fledgling company floated with an elaborate PowerPoint presentation in 2018 titled, "Go to bed. Wake up there," suggested all-new equipment would be built with the help of Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loans. It also explored the overnight market potential and made assumptions about revenue and expenses that have no doubt been adjusted since then. But the Union Pacific agreement is a necessary first step to finally get the hospitality-oriented overnight venture off the drawing board.

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A New High-Speed Train Between Las Vegas and California Breaks Ground This Week

Brightline will shuttle passengers between sin city and an l.a. suburb in just over two hours., tori latham, tori latham's most recent stories.

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The future of train travel is beginning to take shape.

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The $12 billion project is scheduled to be completed by early 2028, The Washington Post noted, in time for people who will be in the area for that year’s Summer Olympics in L.A. Brightline’s electric trains will leave every 45 minutes from both stations, making two additional stops in the California towns of Hesperia and Apple Valley during the 218-mile journey. Going at speeds of 186 miles per hour, the train will cut down on the three-hour-plus travel time between Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga—and that’s without traffic, of course.

While we’ll have to wait a few years to get a taste of the Brightline trip, but the company is betting on it being game-changer when it comes to travel to and from Sin City.

Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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Metro train collides with bus in downtown Los Angeles, injuring more than 50, 2 seriously

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — At least 55 people were hurt, two seriously, when a Metro light rail train and a University of Southern California shuttle bus collided Tuesday along a busy thoroughfare in downtown Los Angeles, officials said.

The crash happened shortly before noon along Exposition Boulevard, near the USC campus and Natural History Museum, according to the LA Fire Department.

Two victims were hospitalized with serious injuries and 16 others were transported in fair condition, the department said. Another 37 people were treated at the scene.

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Dave Sotero, a spokesperson for LA Metro, said the bus crossed into the path of an E Line train. The light rail line runs from East Los Angeles to downtown Santa Monica mostly along streets, and not all of the crossings have gates.

Genesis Hernandez was transferring from a Metro bus to catch the E Line to Santa Monica, where she attends college when “all of a sudden I just saw a bunch of ambulances going by,” she recalled.

The 19-year-old was able to view the crash scene from a platform at the Expo/Vermont Metro station. “The bus definitely got crunched on its front end,” she said. “The train didn’t look too damaged.”

Television news footage showed the left side of the red and white bus smashed against the first car of the train. The front section of the bus had significant damage.

The Starcraft 40-passenger bus was traveling westbound on Exposition Boulevard with only the driver and one passenger aboard when the collision occurred, according to a statement from USC Transportation. The bus driver and passenger were the two most severely injured, according to fire department officials.

There were more than 150 passengers on the Santa Monica-bound Metro train, officials said.

Sotero said the Los Angeles Police Department would be in charge of the investigation.

“Metro offers its sympathy to those injured in the accident,” Sotero said in an email.

Exposition Boulevard was closed in both directions during the initial investigation. Metro said its train service would be limited and buses would be used to get passengers through the crash area.

__ Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Rail spikes hammered, bullet train being built…

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Rail spikes hammered, bullet train being built from sin city to the city of angels.

FILE – A Brightline train is shown at a station in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 11, 2018. A fast-tracked plan to build a high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area is set to mark the start of construction. Brightline West and U.S. transportation secretary and other officials projecting that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

This Jan. 25, 2012, photo shows the site of a proposed station for the high-speed rail line to Las Vegas at the end of the Dale Evans Parkway exit from Interstate 15, on the far outskirts of the Mojave Desert city of Victorville, Calif. Brightline West and U.S. transportation secretary and other officials projecting that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

FILE – This photo Jan. 25, 2012, photo shows the site of a proposed station for a high-speed rail line to Las Vegas, foreground, with Interstate 15 in the background, on the far outskirts of Victorville, Calif., the Mojave Desert city on the route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Brightline West and U.S. transportation secretary and other officials projecting that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

FILE – This photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, shows the site of a proposed station for a high-speed rail line to Las Vegas, background, at the end of the Dale Evans Parkway exit from Interstate 15, on the far outskirts of the Mojave Desert city of Victorville, Calif. Brightline West and U.S. transportation secretary and other officials projecting that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A $12 billion passenger bullet train linking Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area was dubbed the first true high-speed rail line in the nation on Monday, with the private company building it predicting millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028.

“People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg before taking a stage with union representatives and company officials at the future site of a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip. “It’s really happening this time.”

Buttigieg cited Biden administration support for the project that he said will bring thousands of union jobs, boost local economies and cut traffic and air pollution.

Brightline West, whose sister company already operates a fast train between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 218 miles (351 kilometers) of new track almost all in the median of Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California. It would link there with a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles. A station also is planned in San Bernardino County’s Victorville area.

Company officials say the goal is to have trains exceeding speeds of 186 mph (300 kph) — comparable to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains — operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

“I believe we’ll look back at today and say, ’This was the birth of an industry of high-speed rail,’” Brightline Holdings founder Wes Edens said Monday.

The company aims to link U.S. cities that are too near each other for air travel to make sense and too far for people to drive.

Brightline received Biden administration backing including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and recent approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds.

Brightline West says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. It projects 11 million one-way passengers per year, with fares that Edens said will be comparable to airline ticket costs. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage.

Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where drivers often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home to Southern California from a Las Vegas weekend. An average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data.

Florida-based Brightline Holdings’ Miami-line debuted in 2018 and expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). It offers 16 round-trips per day with one-way tickets for the 235-mile (378-kilometer) distance costing about $80.

Other fast trains in the U.S. include Amtrak’s Acela, which can top 150 mph (241 kph) between Boston and Washington, D.C. But fast train connections for other U.S. cities have been floated, including Dallas to Houston ; Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina ; Chicago to St. Louis ; and Seattle to Portland, Oregon. Most have faced delays.

In California, a proposed 500-mile (805-kilometer) rail line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco was approved by voters in 2008, but has been beset by rising costs and routing disputes . A 2022 business plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority projected the cost had more than tripled to $105 billion.

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Live updates, work starts on america’s first high-speed train between la, las vegas that could cut travel time in half.

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The much-anticipated construction of the first high-speed passenger train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas got underway Monday — promising to ferry passengers between the two cities in half the the time it now takes to drive through the desert.

The $12 billion project is being spearheaded by Brightline West, which will lay 218 miles of track between a new terminal in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and another station just south of the Las Vegas Strip by 2028, according to Fortune .

In a statement, Brightline Holdings founder and chair Wes Edens said that breaking ground on the rail on Monday — thanks to $6.5 billion in backing from Joe Biden’s administration, plus $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds — was laying “the foundation for a new industry.”

Brightline also won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds, Fortune reported.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will reportedly participate in the rail’s Monday groundbreaking.

Upon its completion, Brightline West is expecting to welcome millions of passengers aboard the high-speed train, which will travel up to 200 miles per hour between the two major US cities in just over two hours — about half the time it takes to drive between LA and Vegas.

The high speeds are comparable to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, whose network includes nearly 2,000 miles of lines on the country’s four major islands.

Brightline’s estimates are that 11 million passengers will take the electric-powered train one way per year, meaning there will be 30,000 travelers per day. The trains will also have restrooms, Wi-Fi, and food and beverage.

There will also be the option to check luggage — with ticket fares with or without large bags anticipated to be well below the cost of flying across the Mojave Desert.

It wasn’t immedately clear what a ticket aboard Brightline West will cost, though airline costs range between $80 and $230 depending on the time of the year.

Passenger traffic at Sin City’s Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023, Fortune reported.

Meanwhile, an average of more than 44,000 automobiles per day crossed the California-Nevada state line on Interstate 15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data — perhaps because of the Super Bowl and Formula 1 Grand Prix race that both took place in Las Vegas last year.

Las Vegas — which has nearly 3 million residents — draws more than 40 million visitors per year.

Brightline CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have high-speed trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Almost the full distance of the forthcoming train will be along the median of I-15, according to Fortune, which begins in San Diego and runs through Los Angeles before passing through Nevada and into parts of Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Montana.

At this point, only one station stop along the route will take place in San Bernardino County’s Victorville area, per Fortune.

At a later date, Brightline West has said it may add more stops in Palmdale, Calif., and other US metros that are too close to fly between but too far to drive to, though details have yet to be finalized.

The goal is to relieve congestion on I-15, where motorists often get caught in slow-moving traffic.

Representatives for Brightline West did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Florida-based Brightline already operates a Miami-to-Orlando high-speed line, where trains reach speeds of up to 125 miles per hour.

The service launched in 2018 and expanded to include service to the Orlando International Airport in September 2022, Fortune reported. It now offers 16 round trips daily, with one-way tickets to travel the 235-mile-long track going for about $80.

Another fast train in the US include Amtrack’s Acels, which can reach 150 miles per hour while transporting passengers between Boston and Washington, DC — but rails aren’t considered “high speed” unless they top at least 160 miles per hour.

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From Sin City to the City of Angels, building starts on high-speed rail line

The plan is to lay 218 miles of new track between a terminal to be built just south of the las vegas strip and another new facility in rancho cucamonga., by ken ritter | associated press • published april 21, 2024 • updated on april 22, 2024 at 12:25 pm.

Work is set to begin Monday on a $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, with officials projecting millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028.

Brightline West, whose sister company  already operates a fast train  between Miami and Orlando in Florida, aims to lay 218 miles (351 kilometers) of new track between a terminal to be built just south of the Las Vegas Strip and another new facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Almost the full distance is to be built in the median of Interstate 15, with a station stop in San Bernardino County’s Victorville area.

In a statement, Brightline Holdings founder and Chairperson Wes Edens called the moment “the foundation for a new industry.”

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Brightline aims to link other U.S. cities that are too near to each other for flying between them to make sense and too far for people to drive the distance, Edens said.

CEO Mike Reininger has said the goal is to have trains operating in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to take part in Monday's groundbreaking. Brightline received $6.5 billion in backing from the Biden administration, including a  $3 billion grant  from federal infrastructure funds and  approval to sell  another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company won federal authorization in 2020 to sell $1 billion in similar bonds.

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The project is touted as the first true high-speed passenger rail line in the nation, designed to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 kph), comparable to  Japan’s Shinkansen  bullet trains.

The route between Vegas and L.A. is largely open space, with no convenient alternate to I-15. Brightline’s Southern California terminal will be at a commuter rail connection to downtown Los Angeles.

The  project outline  says electric-powered trains will cut the four-hour trip across the Mojave Desert to a little more than two hours. Forecasts are for 11 million one-way passengers per year, or some 30,000 per day, with fares well below airline travel costs. The trains will offer rest rooms, Wi-Fi, food and beverage sales and the option to check luggage.

Las Vegas is a popular driving destination for Southern Californians. Officials hope the train line will relieve congestion on I-15, where motorists often sit in miles of crawling traffic while returning home from a Las Vegas weekend.

The Las Vegas area, now approaching 3 million residents, draws more than 40 million visitors per year. Passenger traffic at the city's Harry Reid International Airport set a record of 57.6 million people in 2023. An average of more than  44,000 automobiles per day  crossed the California-Nevada state line on I-15 in 2023, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data.

Florida-based Brightline Holdings already operates the  Miami-to-Orlando line  with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). It launched service in 2018 and expanded service to Orlando International Airport last September. It offers 16 round-trips per day, with one-way tickets for the 235-mile (378-kilometer) distance costing about $80.

Other fast trains in the U.S. include Amtrak’s Acela, which can top 150 mph (241 kph) while sharing tracks with freight and commuter service between Boston and Washington, D.C.

Ideas for connecting other U.S. cities with high-speed passenger trains have been floated in recent years, including  Dallas to Houston ;  Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina ; and  Chicago to St. Louis . Most have faced delays.

In California, voters in 2008 approved a proposed 500-mile (805-kilometer) rail line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the plan has been beset by  rising costs and routing disputes . A 2022 business plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority projected the  cost had more than tripled  to $105 billion.

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