california tourist railroads

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Railroads & Locomotives Tourist Railroad Profiles California tourist railroads you must visit

California tourist railroads you must visit

| Last updated on June 28, 2023

The Golden State has a rich railroading history. Here are our must-see tourist railroads, museums and displays.

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California holds a rich railroad heritage. There’s the Central Pacific building over Donner Pass and the Southern Pacific’s cab-forward locomotives battling the same grade. Narrow-gauge logging lines and restored interurbans. Depots of all shapes and sizes just waiting for you to explore them.

I often get asked: “Bob, I’m going to (insert state here). What train places should I go to?”. When it comes to California, there’s no shortage of options. Below are 10 of my top recommendations, ranked in no particular order. But keep in mind there are plenty of other railroad sites you can visit in the Golden State. I’ve listed those below, as well.

Before taking any railroad trip, I do recommend is a visit to Kalmbachhobbystore.com to pick up a copy of the Tourist Trains Guidebook — 9 th Edition. It includes details on railroad preservation and sites throughout North America, and is a great resource for your travels.

“Seriously, Bob, you’re going to make me read a book? Can’t you just tell me what to see?”

Patience. I’ll gladly give you some pointers and recommendations. The book is for out on the road. You’ll need it for phone numbers, websites, and other details. Now, here are my top California tourist railroads and museums you should visit.

California Tourist Railroads and Museums

Cable Car Museum — 1201 Mason Street, San Francisco San Francisco’s cable cars are legendary. Riding them up and down San Francisco’s hills is a must when visiting. Your cable car experience is not complete unless you visit the Cable Car Museum. Yes, there are plenty of exhibits relating the system’s history. A number of cable cars from the 1870s are displayed. The big draw is the winding room. Here you can see the engines that power the cables, the huge pulleys guiding the cables, and cables, themselves, running into and out of this central power plant. A visit to the Cable Car Museum puts the entire system into perspective.

California State Railroad Museum — 125 I Street, Sacramento There are eight sites where you can see a Union Pacific Big Boy. There is only one place you can come face-to-face with a Southern Pacific Cab Forward — the California State Railroad Museum. This museum opens the railroad history book in an exciting and dynamic fashion. Experience the building of the Transcontinental Railroad from the Central Pacific perspective. Have you ever seen a 4-2-4 steam locomotive? What was it like to dine aboard a Santa Fe dining car in the 1930s? This is just the beginning of what this world-class museum has to offer. I guarantee you won’t be able to see it all in one day.

Napa Valley Wine Train — 1275 McKinstry Street, Napa Rolling the clock back to a time when a fine meal in the dining car was part of the travel adventure is not possible. Or, is it? Combine the delicious wines found in California’s Napa Valley with fine food and the elevated elegance of the railroad dining car. The result is the Napa Valley Wine Train. The food is outstanding. The wine properly chilled. The service is impeccable. Oh, and did I mention that all of this takes place aboard beautifully restored, historic rail cars? This is an outstanding California railroad experience.

RailGiants Train Museum — 1101 West McKinley Avenue, Pomona Where did Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 reside before its restoration? At the RailGiants Train Museum on the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. The museum still tells Big Boy’s story, but that is not the only reason to visit this exhibit. The collection features the only Union Pacific 9000-class 4-12-2 and Southern Pacific 4-10-2 locomotives in existence. The museum is based around the Santa Fe’s depot from Arcadia, Calif., which was moved to the fairgrounds in the early 1970s.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park — 10501 Reservoir Road, Jamestown Mining and logging are integral to California’s history. Railtown 1897 is a living museum that will take you into the railroad world that served the mines and logging camps of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This is not a stand-and-read-about-it experience. Here you walk into the blacksmith shop and watch the work. You ride the train through the heart of gold country. It could easily be 1897 as opposed to 2023.

Skunk Train — 100 West Laurel Street, Fort Bragg In the 1920s, the exhaust from the line’s railbuses created a pungent stink you could smell before the train arrived. The locals began calling the railroad the Skunk Train. Today, the smell is greatly improved, but the scenery is just as spectacular. Seeing the California redwoods is amazing on its own. Now imagine seeing these tower trees, some of which are 2,000 to 3,000 years old, while riding on a train. Welcome aboard the Skunk Train.

Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum — 101 West Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi Here is an icon on the American railroad landscape: Tehachapi — the name means “hard climb,” in the Kawaiisu language, the Native American tribe whose homeland was the Tehachapi Valley. Trains pass the museum as they make their way to either the San Joaquin Valley or the Mojave Desert. The Depot Museum details the history of this storied mountain pass and is a good place to begin your railroad exploration of the area.

Western America Railroad Museum — 685 North First Street, Barstow No visit to the West is complete without visiting a Harvey House. Fred Harvey operated a series of restaurants along the Santa Fe in the time before dining cars. Casa Del Desierto, which houses the museum, is a fine example of a Harvey establishment. Beyond the railroad interest, the facility is also home to the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.

Western Railway Museum — 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun City Generally, when we think of passenger trains in California, names like the California Zephyr, City of Los Angeles, and the Super Chief spring to mind. Off the main lines and outside the traditional train, California had a network of interurban lines radiating from the big cities, linking the smaller communities. It is this interurban history that you will explore at the Western Railway Museum. Be sure to ride one of the restored cars to experience California travel, pre-freeway style.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad — 56001 CA-41, Fish Camp The Yosemite area is rich in timber, which at one time was harvested and transported by train to be milled. The natural beauty of this central California region is outstanding. You can see this from one of the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad’s trains. Ride into the Yosemite wilderness behind a geared Shay locomotive to experience the scenery and hear of logging during the late 1800s.

Other California railroad sites to consider

During your visit to California, consider also visiting these railroad sites:

• Colma Depot — Colma
• Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History — Santa Clara
• El Dorado Western Railroad — El Dorado
• Folsom Railroad Museum — Folsom
• Fort Humboldt State Historic Park — Eureka
• History Park — San Jose
• Knott’s Berry Farm Calico Railroad — Buena Park
• Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site — Bishop
• Lomita Railroad Museum — Lomita
• Millbrae Train Museum — Millbrae
• National City Depot — National City
• Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum — Nevada City
• Niles Canyon Railway — Sunol
• Niles Depot Museum — Fremont
• Pacific Southwest Railway Museum — Campo
• Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad — Folsom
• Poway-Midland Railroad — Poway
• Railroad Museum at Ardenwood — Fremont
• Roaring Camp Railroads — Felton
• Roots of Motive Power — Willits
• Sacramento River Fox Train — West Sacramento
• San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum — San Bernardino
• San Francisco Municipal Railway — San Francisco
• South Coast Railroad Museum — Goleta
• Southern California Railway Museum — Perris
• Timber Heritage Association — Samoa
• Travel Town Museum — Los Angeles
• Western Pacific Railroad Museum — Portola

Learn more about tourist railroads in North America.

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Want a Relaxing Alternative to a California Road Trip? Hop on a Train.

From rides through redwood forests to wine country, these train trips through california offer plenty of adventure..

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The Pacific Surfliner takes travelers 351 miles along the California coast, but other trains explore different parts of the state.

Photo by Cory Woodruff/Shutterstock

With a coastline over 1,000 miles long north to south, California is an enormous and geographically diverse state, well known for scenic road trips . But consider exploring the state in a different way to remove the stress of potential gridlock in car traffic and gain a novel perspective: by train .

The state’s railroad offerings include historic journeys through redwood forests, luxurious wine trains, and Amtrak routes along the vibrant Pacific coastline and beyond. Here are five of the most scenic train rides to take in California.

1. Pacific Surfliner

• Where: San Diego to San Luis Obispo

Amtrak’s iconic Pacific Surfliner offers a 351-mile trip through San Diego , Orange, Los Angeles , Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, with stretches of the route abutting the Pacific coastline in Southern California.

Head from San Diego through Anaheim (a useful port of call for Disneyland), then up through L.A.’s historic and lively downtown environment. Next is Santa Barbara—the so-called American Riviera for its coastal views, fine wines, and film festivals. The end of the line to the north is San Luis Obispo, known for outdoor activities, farm-to-table dining, and world-class wineries.

How to do it

• Book a trip: pacificsurfliner.com

The Pacific Surfliner route offers five daily round-trip services between Santa Barbara and San Diego, and 13 between San Diego and Los Angeles. Prices start at $16 for a single leg of the journey. Many stations are within walking distance of key attractions; various transit providers also offer free bus connections to Pacific Surfliner passengers .

Extend the trip with a longer stay in downtown Los Angeles, which has abundant hotel options, including the historic Hotel Figueroa , one of the city’s oldest; it opened nearly a century ago as lodging for professional women travelers, a rarity for the era. The Spanish adobe-style building has 268 rooms and suites and offers a lively, creative scene with top-notch food and drink outlets.

2. Coast Starlight

• Where: San Diego to Seattle

Up for a long haul on Amtrak? Take the famous Coast Starlight all the way through California (with the possibility of continuing to Oregon and Washington). The entire 35-hour route goes from Los Angeles to Seattle with views of snow-peaked mountains, green forests and valleys, and stretches of the Pacific Ocean, too. It’s widely considered one of the most beautiful train trips in the country.

• Book a trip: amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train

Travel the entire route, and the Coast Starlight will be a starting cost of about $100 to $150, or closer to $200 for a business-class seat. There’s also the option to sleep aboard, with the cost of a roomette about $700, or a family room about $1,300—which includes meals, water, and coffee.

3. Napa Valley Wine Train

• Where: Napa Valley

Visiting California’s wineries in Napa can be a nuisance and potential hazard by car. Instead, hop aboard the private Napa Valley Wine train , a 36-mile winetasting loop with wine and artisanal food cooked to order on board.

The train includes vintage Pullman rail cars restored with mahogany paneling, brass accents, etched glass partitions, and posh armchair seating that evokes the glamorous rail travel of the Gilded Age.

• Book a trip: winetrain.com

Choose from three- or six-hour daytime journeys or a two-hour dinner ride. The new “Tasting on the Rails” trip launches in May, with tickets starting at $395. The experience will include a three-hour journey aboard the 1915 Pullman Lounge car, complete with an observation platform exclusive to guests of this experience, as well as a seven-course meal and seven wine pairings from the valley.

The wine train is located in downtown Napa , which is only a 15-minute walk from the Andaz Napa . The Hyatt property offers 141 guest rooms, with hardwood hickory floors and midcentury furnishings. The hotel bar, the Mercantile Terrace, has a bar menu and firepits with a convivial atmosphere.

The Skunk Train offers two journeys year-round: the Wolf Tree Turn and and Pudding Creek Express.

Photo by photosgenius/Shutterstock

4. Skunk Train

• Where: Mendocino

This train goes back to the 1880s, when it ran along the Fort Bragg Railroad to make transporting lumber easier in Northern California’s Mendocino County . That was the genesis of what is now commonly known as the Skunk Train (for the pungent fumes it once emitted). Now, it offers dreamy rides through the majestic redwoods with a heavy dose of nostalgia; the views have remained largely unchanged since its original days.

• Book a trip: skunktrain.com

The train offers an array of trips starting at $50. The seven-mile round-trip Pudding Express departs from the Fort Bragg depot and runs along the estuary of the same name, where blue herons, ospreys, egrets, and more wildlife all make their homes.

Or spend a unique day on the tracks by railbike: These are nearly silent, electric-powered two-person railbikes that breeze along the serene track. Prices start at $265 per bike.

5. River Fox Train

• Where: Sacramento

Originally built in 1911 by Northern Electric Co., the River Fox Train now offers an opportunity for visitors to explore the Sacramento River along a 10-mile stretch of track through Yolo County’s countryside. Theme rides range from beer and wine experiences to murder mystery trips to holiday excursions. Think riverfront views and ivy-draped woodlands. And like its sister Skunk Train in Mendocino County, this track also offers the whimsical railbike experience.

• Book a trip: riverfoxtrain.com

Prices for the train start at $59 for adults and $29 for kids. Railbikes start at $109, which covers two riders midweek. The train boards in West Sacramento. Make a trip of it with a stay at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento, with curated political art throughout and architecture from George Selland, the first state architect of California.

THE 10 BEST California Scenic Railroads

Scenic railroads in california.

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What travelers are saying.

A Complete Guide to Train Travel in California

The romance and convenience of train travel is something that countries throughout Europe and Asia have embraced with open arms. Trains are easy to navigate, budget-friendly, space-saving, and are oftentimes safer than driving. Plus, it sure beats having to keep your eyes on the road while venturing up the beautiful California coast.

Perhaps the best part? Trains are much better for the environment than flying or driving. Amtrak trains, for example, are 47 percent more energy efficient than traveling by car and 36 percent more efficient than domestic air travel. Trains can move a larger number of people at once than cars can, which means they produce less CO2, lower pollution levels, and healthier air quality. Win, win, win.

So, what are you waiting for? TripSavvy rounded up some of the best train routes in California to supplement your staycation, road trip, or domestic travel plans.

Coast Starlight

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train is considered by many to be one of the most scenic train tours on the west coast, passing through spectacular cities like San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Portland. Passengers have the opportunity to pass by each climate that California is famous for, from snowy Mount Shasta to the coast of the Pacific Ocean and everything in between. If you choose to travel the Coast Starlight, you’ll get to enjoy an onboard theater and arcade room to help pass the time (or if you need a break from the scenic views) and sleeper car passengers even have access to local wine and cheese tastings in the Parlour Car. It’s about as California as it gets.

The route takes passengers on a journey from Los Angeles to Seattle, stopping in Sacramento and Portland along the way. The whole trip takes about 35 hours start to finish and the train departs daily, with different accommodations to fit different travel styles and budgets. Choose from Roomettes with two seats that fold up into bunk-style cots at night and a private restroom with shower; a Bedroom with twice the space; an even bigger Bedroom Suite; and a Family Bedroom with room for two adults and two children. Private rooms get priority boarding, a dedicated Sleeping Car attendant, access to the train lounge, and complimentary meals included. For guests traveling with a disability, the train has several Accessible Bedrooms located on the entry level with space for a wheelchair and two adults.

Coach passengers will still enjoy roomy, comfortable seats with much more legroom than a plane or car, and Business Class guests receive an onboard credit for food or drinks and a fully refundable ticket.

Pacific Surfliner

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner serves stations on the southern side of the state. The route hugs the coast the whole way, stopping in 27 stations along 351 miles throughout San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obisbo counties. Once the train reaches the far north, passengers can go even further using the supplementary thruway bus systems.

Unlike the Starlight, the Pacific Surfliner doesn’t include any sleeper trains, making it more of a day trip type of train. Passengers still get comfy reclining seats with power outlets, free Wi-Fi, restrooms, bike and luggage racks, and massive windows to enjoy the views of the sea as it whips by. There’s also an onboard cafe with fresh food, snacks, and drinks.

Coach tickets are unreserved, so you can ride any Pacific Surfliner train from the origin station to the destination station listed on the ticket, making it a bit more flexible should travelers miss a train or if travel plans change. Business Class tickets offer guaranteed seating and a few other perks like more legroom and complimentary snacks, but advance reservations are required.

Amtrak San Joaquins

With 135 destinations to choose from, 365 miles of track, 18 stations, and over a million riders every year, the Amtrak San Joaquins offers a connection to the Central Valley and popular spots like Yosemite National Park. There are seven daily round trips featured on this train, five between the cities of Oakland and Bakersfield, and two between Sacramento and Bakersfield. The extensive Thruway Bus network can even take passengers as far as Las Vegas or Napa, and the train connects directly to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) at the Richmond Station.

Some of the more scenic highlights of this route include the section between Stockton and Oakland with views of the Delta and the Bay, between Lodi and Sacramento through vineyards, and between Merced and Fresno with views of the sierras and Central California farmland.

There is free Wi-Fi available onboard as well as a cafe car for food and drink purchases. Keep in mind that this route has a lot of stops, and can get pretty crowded. Also, Amtrak San Joaquins doesn’t offer a Business Class ticket selection, so reserving seats isn’t possible.

Caltrain is a Northern California commuter rail line that services the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley. Because it is a commuter train and pretty casual, it is much cheaper than Amtrak, and will take you further than the BART and MUNI public transportation networks that mostly cater to the Bay Area regionally. It runs from the ballpark in San Francisco south through San Jose, Silicon Valley, and ends in Gilroy. It serves dozens of stations, but unfortunately doesn’t connect riders to the heart of San Francisco (you’ll need more local public transportation for that).

Similar to Caltrain, Metrolink offers services on a smaller scale, covering the Southern California regions connecting Los Angeles, Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Metrolink has a $10 Weekend Day Pass that is good for unlimited system wide travel either Saturday or Sunday (perfect for that Disneyland vacation) and a five day flex pass that gives riders 10 percent off. The company recently installed brand new ticket machines located at each station, but tickets can also be purchased through a mobile app.

Seats for both Caltrain and Metrolink commuter trains aren’t assigned, and are much smaller than the long-distance train, similar to city-wide public transportation or subways.

Napa Valley Wine Train

If the thought of traveling by train didn’t give you enough of a European feel, try throwing in the Mediterranean-esque views of the Napa Valley along with it. The Napa Valley Wine Train has been a must-do staple of Napa tourism for years thanks to its gourmet cuisine and world-class wine. The train cars are made up of restored vintage Pullman cars from the early 20th century and the decor is an homage to the glory days of luxury train travel with all its mahogany paneling, brass accents, etched glass partitions, and intimate seating.

The Wine Train isn’t so much about the destination as it is about the journey, since the track is a fairly short 36-mile loop starting and ending in the small town of St. Helena. Tour options range from 2-3 hour journeys complete with a four-course meal to full or half-day trips that last for 3 to 6 hours and include wine tastings at some of Napa Valley’s most famous wineries. You’re paying for the ride, but also for the food or wine along with it, so save this train ride for a special occasion.

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Complete Guide to Train Rides & Attractions in Northern California (with Map)

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: July 11, 2022

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Few places have a richer railroad legacy than the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Northern California. Trains were a vital part of the development of the state, from their role in logging in the redwoods to moving goods and people as the state boomed after the Gold Rush. Railroad tycoons like the Big 4 of San Francisco (Crocker, Huntington, Stanford, and Hopkins) helped to build the Transcontinental Railroad – the terminus of which eventually ended up in my now hometown of Alameda, CA .

As a result, Northern California is the place to visit to see a wide variety of train-related attractions today. Travelers to the area will find so many opportunities to learn about historic trains and ride the rails. Over the years, my kids and I have been able to visit most – but not quite yet all – of the most popular train attractions in the Bay Area and all over Northern California.

Here are 13 of the best train-related things to do in the northern part of the Golden State, as well as a dozen more smaller train attractions in the area.

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

13 Bucket List Worthy Train Rides and Sights in Northern California

If you are looking for a full scale train ride or a railway-related experience worthy of traveling to see, these are the headliners in NorCal.

Roaring Camp Railroads (Felton, CA)

One of the most well-known train destinations in the state is located in the town of Felton in Santa Cruz County. Roaring Camp Railroads offers two different passenger train experiences. The first, the open air narrow gauge Redwood Forest Steam Train, travels deep into the coastal redwoods with magnificent views. It ultimately climbs a small grade to Bear Mountain by means of a switchback where it reverses direction.

The second route is aboard the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk train. This train travels through redwoods, gorges, tunnels, and across a historic steel truss bridge from Felton, ultimately arriving at the famed Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Each direction takes about an hour, and guests can start either at the beach or in Felton for a round trip journey (and can hop off and spend some time in either destination for a full day’s activity).

Roaring Camp Railroads hosts a number of seasonal events, from Thomas the Tank Engine special visits to holiday celebrations and drive in movies.

Skunk Train (Fort Bragg & Willits)

Far north of San Francisco in the heart of old redwood logging country is an area rich with train history. In Mendocino County on the coast, one of the most well-known and well-preserved of these historic logging trains takes passengers today – the Skunk Train . Dating from 1885, this railroad line has served many functions over the years.

Related : Guide to Mendocino County with Kids

The Skunk Train got its name because of the smell of the trains that carried passengers in the 1920s – railbuses running on gasoline and burning crude oil in stoves for heat. The train doesn’t have the same smell today thankfully!

Two routes are available for visitors to ride. The first is the shorter one hour 15 minute Pudding Creek Express that makes a round trip from the coast in Fort Bragg – perfect for families. The second is the 2 hour Wolf Tree turn from Willits. The railroad now also offers rail bike experiences out of Fort Bragg.

Be sure not to miss the Mendocino Model Railway just behind the Fort Bragg depot. This independently run model train build run entirely by volunteer enthusiasts is truly amazing.

Sonoma TrainTown Railroad (Sonoma)

In the heart of Sonoma County wine country, this beloved local theme park celebrates all things railroad. Sonoma TrainTown has regular amusement rides for kids (trained themed ones, of course!), but the headliner is the park’s miniature gauge railroad. This 20 minute train ride stops at Lakeview, a miniature town and petting zoo play area where kids can hop out and explore. The park also features a few historic train cars that guests can tour.

The park is open daily in summer and Saturdays and Sundays the rest of the year. Admission and parking are free; guests purchase a la carte tickets to each attraction in the park.

California State Railroad Museum & Sacramento Southern Railway (Sacramento)

For families who want to learn more about trains, the California State Railroad Museum is a true gem. The museum has exhibits featuring trains and locomotives from every era of railroad history and is located right in the center of Old Sacramento . Admission is just $12 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6-12 (kids ages 5 and under are free), making this a very affordable stop that will probably keep most families busy for several hours.

Next door to the California State Railroad Museum, guests can hop aboard the affiliated Sacramento Southern Railroad for a full scale train ride along the Sacramento River. The train operates on Saturdays and Sundays in summer, with seasonal train rides available at other times of the year like the Spookomotive at Halloween and a Polar Express in winter months.

Sacramento River Fox Train (West Sacramento)

Not too far down the road and river northwest of Sacramento is another train ride option. The Sacramento River Fox Train company specializes in train experiences and events. Most rides are 2.5 hours and stop at the train’s private park before returning for the round trip.

There’s a variety of options for both adults as well as families. Excursions for the over 21 set include the Beer Train, Happy Hour, and Old Vine Express.

For families, the regular River Fox excursion focuses on California’s Gold Rush history and includes gem mining. There’s another option where guests don fancy hats and enjoy tea. And of course, there are seasonal trains galore – from Halloween, Christmas, and Easter for families to an adults-only Valentine’s Day offering.

Niles Canyon Railway (Fremont & Sunol)

For a full size passenger train experience in the heart of the Bay Area, head to the Niles Canyon Railway in Fremont and Sunol.

The Niles Canyon Railway operates steam and diesel engines along a portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. During December, look for the railway’s Train of Lights (be ready to book as soon as tickets are released because it normally sells out immediately!).

Railroad Park Resort (Dunsmuir)

For anyone obsessed with trains, the chance to sleep or dine in a historic train car is a truly unique experience. You can do both at Railroad Park Resort in Dunsmuir not far from Mount Shasta along Interstate 5.

The property is a hotel with multiple caboose cars converted into individual hotel rooms. Each caboose is complete with private bathrooms and electricity. The restaurant on property is a fine dining (but ultimately kid-friendly) experience also located within a train car. While a stay is not very expensive, the hotel is extremely popular. Be sure to book well in advance.

(There’s a similar caboose hotel in Lake County, CA – Featherbed Railroad – but rooms there are limited to an occupancy of 2 and the resort is focused on romantic getaways. Leave the kids at home and save this one for a couples trip!)

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (Fish Camp)

Yosemite National Park is one of the top stops for travelers to the northern half of the state. It’s easy to add a train experience to your national park trip if you happen to be making the right approach to the park.

Located just 4 miles south of the Yosemite’s southern entrance (by Mariposa Grove and Wawona) is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad . The railroad runs one hour rides with steam engines through the adjacent Sierra National Forest. It’s closed in the winter months, so check your travel dates with their schedule before you go. For more details and tips, be sure to check out this guide to visiting Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad . (Also, if you plan to visit while on a trip to the park, don’t miss my complete guide to Yosemite National Park with kids ).

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (Jackson)

Travelers taking the northern routes into Yosemite National Park may find a stop at Railtown 1897 Historic State Park an easy detour. Operated in partnership between the California State Parks and the California State Railroad Museum, this park runs both historic steam and diesel locomotives through the heart of California Gold Country in Tuolumne County. The park has a working roundhouse and a number of historic trains on display outdoors to view and explore.

Napa Valley Wine Train (Napa)

This historic rail lines runs through a large swath of Napa wine country, from the town of Napa to St. Helena, passing several dozen famous wineries along the way. More than just a train ride, the Napa Valley Wine Train offers a wide variety of excursions that include meals, tastings, and stops at wineries along the way. Trips can be as long as a full day (6 hours) or just a few hours, depending on what itinerary you book.

Related : Guide to Napa Valley with Kids

While the Napa Valley Wine Train welcomes kids on some trips, I wouldn’t recommend this train for families with younger kids due to its more adult focus on food and wine. But for for couples travelers or those with tweens and teens who appreciate food and views, it’s a unique way to get an overview of the entire area.

Western Pacific Railroad Museum (Portola)

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is off-the-beaten track in the more remote northeast part of the state about an hour from Reno/Tahoe. Always a favorite with true railroad enthusiasts, it’s worth the trip.

Calling it a museum might be a bit misleading as it is really more about actually exploring and climbing aboard the many dozens of pieces of railway equipment in the outdoor yard. The incredible collection includes a number of diesel-electric locomotives as well as passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses.

The museum offers train rides on weekends for a small fee. Want to drive a train? The museum’s Run-A-Locomotive Program lets you be be a train engineer for an hour (kids too! – with parent accompanying and a signed release of liability). Be aware that the museum is closed in winter months so call ahead before you make the drive. It will reopen April 1, 2022 next year.

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum (Nevada City)

California Gold Country in Nevada City is home to a lovingly-maintained and fascinating narrow gauge railroad museum, the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum . The museum highlights the role of the railway in hauling supplies through the region during the Gold Rush.

One of the museum’s most prized items in its collection is its historic Number 5 engine that spent many years starring in Hollywood movies before returning to the railroad. On Saturdays, the museum offers free railbus rides on a network of narrow gauge tracks that is a must-do. Just be sure to call ahead to make a reservation!

The train yard around the museum is full of restorations-in-progress, open cars to explore, and friendly volunteers and enthusiasts. This impressive combination of offerings has made it one of our family’s favorite railroad attractions in the state, even though it might not have as big of a name as several other stops on this list.

El Dorado Western Railroad (Placerville)

Also in Gold Country is Placerville’s El Dorado Western Railroad . This railroad offers rides two Sundays a month from its El Dorado Station, running along the tracks of the old Southern Pacific Railroad line.

This is definitely a railroad to watch in the coming months and years. The railway has plans to expand to Shingle Springs in the not-too-distant future and has a number of restorations and track repairs in progress.

12 More Smaller Trains to Ride in NorCal

If you are a local looking to take a smaller train-related excursion or ride, there are lots of options in the northern half of California – especially in the Bay Area. These are mostly located within local parks, theme parks, or in association with other family-friendly attractions. For some smaller and less expensive train outings, keep these on your radar too:

Redwood Valley Railway (Berkeley)

Tilden Park in the Berkeley and Oakland hills is home to several railway-related attractions known as the Tilden Park steam trains. The main event is the open air narrow gauge Redwood Valley Railway that travels a one mile loop through the park.

There are also miniature scale trains just large enough to sit and straddle like a horse – the Golden Gate Live Steamers . These traditionally run only for a few hours on Sundays and are run by a dedicated group of train enthusiasts who enjoy sharing their love of trains with kids.

Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad (Los Gatos)

In the South Bay, the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad operates real steam engines that travel through Oak Meadow and Vasona parks in the town of Los Gatos. In operation since 1968, this railroad is generally open daily in summer and Saturdays and Sundays the rest of the year.

Railroad Museum at Ardenwood (Fremont)

The Railroad Museum at Ardenwood is a nonprofit railroad in Fremont was founded with a mission to preserve West Coast narrow gauge railroad technology and history. It is located on the grounds of Ardenwood Historic Farm Regional Preserve, a popular family-friendly outing to view a historic working farm in the Bay Area. Train rides are available from the first weekend in April through the weekend before Thanksgiving on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, as well as for some additional special events.

Oakland Zoo’s Outback Express Adventure Train (Oakland)

Guests visiting the Oakland Zoo can take a ride aboard the Outback Express Adventure Train. The train is located in Adventure Landing along with several other kid-friendly rides outside of the paid entry area into the zoo. No separate zoo admission is required, but the parking fee ($10 per car) is in addition to the small fee for the train itself. The ride takes you into the enclosures where the emus and wallaroos are kept for a down under adventure.

San Francisco Zoo’s Little Puffer Miniature Steam Train (San Francisco)

The San Francisco Zoo is home to the 100+ year old Little Puffer Miniature Steam Train . It’s one of only three 22 inch gauge railroads left in the world. Admission is a little pricey ($7 per passenger in addition to the zoo’s admission and parking fees), and it only takes two short laps. But it’s a really unique steam train experience that enthusiasts will enjoy.

Golden State Model Railroad Museum (Point Richmond)

Owned and operated by the East Bay Model Engineers Society, the Golden State Model Railroad Museum has three model train layouts to view in operation. Admission is very reasonable – a ticket to admit the whole family is just $10. The museum is only open Sundays from noon to 4:00 pm right now, so check operating dates and hours carefully!

Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society

The Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society runs the Diablo Valley Lines model railroad which features a mix of model railroad types – standard gauge, narrow gauge, and overhead electric freight and trolley lines. The railroad is only on view for specific shows (a few days a month on weekends, but more frequently during the holidays).

Theme Park Trains

A number of local Bay Area theme parks also have small train rides you shouldn’t miss if you are planning a day at the amusement park with a train-loving kiddo. Our favorites include:

• Bonfante Railroad Train Ride at Gilroy Gardens (Gilroy) : One of the hidden theme park gems for families with young kids is Gilroy Gardens , which has a train that circles the park. This train is the largest of the ones at theme parks in NorCal and is a 1/3 scale replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive.
• Jolly Trolly at Children’s Fairyland (Oakland) : This slow moving train is ideal for even babies and toddlers in laps. Plan to ride it early in the day as lines get long.
• Pixieland Express Train (Concord) : This small scale amusement park has a little 1/4 mile train for adults and kids who are big enough sit up on their own.
• Seaside Railway at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo) : This amusement park just outside of the Bay Area has a small train perfect for families to ride together. (See my related Tips for visiting Six Flags Discovery Kingdom )
• The Little Engine that Could at Fairytale Town (Sacramento) : Another neighborhood amusement park great for little ones features this famous blue train kids know and love!

Seasonal & Holiday Train Experiences in Northern California

Trains are often the most popular for families to visit during special events offered around the holidays. From haunted trains to holiday trains of lights, there are a number of special railway seasonal events in San Francisco, Sacramento, and all over Northern California.

(These special events are all hosted by attractions listed above.)

Halloween Trains

• Halloween Express (Skunk Train)
• Spookomotive (Sacramento Southern Railway)
• Pumpkin Patch Express (Sacramento River Fox Train)
• Halloween Limited (Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railway)

Christmas & Winter Holiday Trains

• Magical Christmas Train (Skunk Train)
• Polar Express (California State Railroad Museum & Sacramento Southern Railway)
• Polar Express (Railtown 1897 State Historic Park)
• Train of Lights (Niles Canyon Railway)
• Magical Christmas Train (Sacramento River Fox Train)
• Tis The Season To Sip (Napa Valley Wine Train)

Other Holiday Trains

• Easter Egg Express (Sacramento River Fox Train)
• Valentine’s Day Dinner Train (Sacramento River Fox Train) – adults only

Are there any train rides or attractions in Northern California we missed? Leave your recommendations in the comments and we’ll keep this list updated.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

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eric mencis

Monday 11th of July 2022

You missed the Western Railway Museum www.wrm.org https://www.facebook.com/WesternRailwayMuseum

Leslie Harvey

Thursday 28th of July 2022

Thanks for the tip! As much as I think I've found every offering in the northern half of the state, more are brought to my attention. Will include in the next update.

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The Ultimate California Train Trip To Plan Now

From railroad museums to scenic rides on the Pacific Surfliner, your dream California train trip is awaiting. It's time to explore.

April 07, 2021

Train rides are for people who value the journey as much as the destination. Trains aren’t the first thing to come to mind when you’re thinking of the Golden State. But, you’d be surprised to see how prevalent they used to be. From railroad museums to scenic rides on the Pacific Surfliner , a California train trip boasts plenty to see.  

California trains and railroad museums

Trains and California share a rich past. Whether you’re a history buff, railfan, or just out to explore California, these rides and museums are must-adds to your list. Take a spontaneous ride, explore the Golden State, and learn unexpected truths about its history. 

Can't-Miss California train rides

Train to San Diego

If you haven’t tried it yet, the best train to San Diego is the Pacific Surfliner . This train ride in California covers a lot of ground. It goes all the way from San Luis Obispo through Santa Barbara and L.A. down towards San Diego. If you’d like to get off on the way and explore the shores on your surfboard, you’re more than welcome.

The Surfliner has special racks to hold boards and bikes. You’ll also find plenty of noteworthy attractions along the way. Make sure to plan enough time to explore between each stop on this California train trip.

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Train from San Diego to L.A.

Leaving the coast of one sunny southern California metropolis for another is made easy thanks to the Pacific Surfliner. Most trains from San Diego to L.A. take about three hours, and rides are serviced throughout the day offering flexibility. Select a window seat and take in the striking views of the Pacific.

Train from L.A. to Santa Barbara

Continue your Surfliner trip from L.A. to Santa Barbara. You won’t have to change tracks—Amtrak operates a ride from Los Angeles Union Station to Santa Barbara Amtrak Station five to six times a day. You’ll have fantastic views of the West Coast on your journey and will arrive in less than three hours.

Skunk train Mendocino

Stepping back in time on the Skunk Train is one of the best things to do in the state. The Skunk Train in California takes you on a magical journey—you’ll spot towering redwoods, scenic bridges, and spectacular tunnels. The final destination? The heart of Noyo River Canyon.

Built in 1885, the Skunk Train was meant to transport redwood logs from the rugged countryside to the coast. To this day, the route remains largely unchanged. Riding this California rail is an annual tradition for many families. On special occasions, you even get themed seasonal rides. The Easter Express , Autumn Pumpkin Express , and the Magical Christmas Train are the best ones yet. These seasonal rides feature decked-out interiors and fun activities for everyone on the Skunk Train in California.

Train to San Francisco

You have plenty of options when it comes to hopping on a train to and from the City by the Bay. Depending on your destination, scenery of choice, and allocated time, trains to San Francisco are aplenty. 

To travel along some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, book a seat on the California Zephyr . Your journey begins from the Bay Area and goes towards Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Chicago. Had more of a Los Angeles to San Francisco train ride in mind? The Coast Starlight is your go-to ride.

Train from San Jose to San Francisco

A complete Northern California train trip isn’t a fantasy, but a possibility. Hop aboard the Capitol Corridor to discover Auburn, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Providing up to 32 daily train rides, this train from San Jose to San Francisco is convenient, affordable, and frequent. Whether you ride the entirety of this California train trip or just one portion (maybe the train from Sacramento to San Francisco ), you’ll love the adventure.

California railroad museums

Southern california railway museum.

Location : 2201 South A Street, Perris

The Southern California Railway Museum focuses on the area’s railroad history. This museum has the largest collection of Pacific Electric Railway rolling stock in the world. A significant portion of it was rescued from scrap yards after the discontinuation of operations. The railroad museum houses a large collection of historical locomotives, railcars, trolleys, model trains, and a three-foot gauge. Take a California train ride on an operating trolley every Saturday and Sunday at the museum.

Parking and admission to the museum are free year-round except for special events. Tours of the grounds, static exhibits, and shops can also be self-guided. There’s a picnic area near the main entrance, as well as an interactive railroad signal garden on site.

Train museums in Los Angeles

Los angeles live steamers railroad museum.

Location : 5202 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles

Located in Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is a non-profit museum founded in 1956. Live steam enthusiasts established the museum to educate the public about railroad history. The founders also wanted to promote live steam and scale model railroad technology in L.A. 

This train museum in Los Angeles operates a stationary 19th-century steam plant. The plant runs every third Sunday with a variety of vintage restored steam appliances. Almost everything you see at the museum—tunnels, bridges, tracks, switches, buildings—are built by members of the non-profit.

San Diego train museum

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

Location : 1649 El Prado, San Diego

This San Diego train museum is definitely one worth visiting. Out of all the inspiring museums in the city , the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is among the most interesting. Upon visiting, you’ll come across miniature constructions of California railroads at every corner. 

San Diego’s train museum boasts the largest indoor exhibit of its kind in North America. With 27,000 square feet of space, the museum holds five large-scale model layouts depicting railroads of the Southwest. Not only does the museum collect exhibits, but it also preserves the heritage of American railroading. This California railroad museum is where people discover their love for trains and engineering. 

Sacramento train museum

California State Railroad Museum

Location : 125 I Street, Sacramento

Boasting over two and a half acres of exhibits, the California State Railroad Museum offers a deep dive into the rail history of the region. You’ll find the place filled with countless trains. The museum features a store, library, passenger station, and an authentic excursion train ride. 

This Sacramento train museum is one of the biggest draws for tourists in the region. The collection contains 19 steam locomotives from 1862 to 1944. The museum’s trains illustrate the development of steam technology from its early years to its climax in the 1940s.

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11 Epic Train Rides In Northern California For That Wonderful Scenic Experience You Need

Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at [email protected].

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The nostalgia that good old-fashioned train rides in Northern California can bring is truly special. Locomotive travel can bring us back to a time when we took the time to watch what was outside our window and simply enjoy the journey. If you’re looking to remember what it’s like to enjoy the journey and tour Northern California in a unique way—or you just want to give the family a special experience they’ll never forget—then traveling Northern California’s scenic railways are the perfect way to do just that. The following are eleven train rides in Northern California that will give you an unforgettable experience.

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Have you ever traveled along any of these train rides in California? Share your thoughts, train photos, and railway experiences with us in the comments below. For more scenic adventures, hop in the car and take this beautiful road trip in Northern California . And don’t forget to check out our Ultimate Road Trip Packing List !

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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More to Explore

Train rides in northern california.

Can I go for a train ride in Northern California?

Other train rides in Northern California include:

• Niles Canyon Railway
• Pumpkin Patch Express

In addition to the train rides mentioned above, there are even more scenic train rides in Northern California that are ideal for a day trip. The Niles Canyon Railway operates several different train rides, ranging from team locomotives to self-propelled railcars, and even special holiday train rides which are a must during Christmas. If you just can’t wait for the holidays, the Pumpkin Patch Express is a great fall-weather train ride where you’ll get to travel by train through the Yolo County farmland and even pick yourself a pumpkin before heading home.  

What are the best day trips in Northern California?

Some day trips in Northern California include:

• Yosemite National Park
• Half Moon Bay

The Golden State is ripe with incredible adventures to occupy your day, you just need to pick the sights! A tour of the gold country is always a good idea, where you can learn more about the history of the gold rush and see what the towns look like today. Of course, seeing the majestic redwoods should be on everyone’s bucket list, and Redwood National Park is a great place to start. Nature lovers will have a blast taking a paddle around one of the many gorgeous lakes in Northern California , and there are always Northern California’s beautiful beaches that make for a memorable day trip.  

What are the best road trips through Northern California?

Besides train rides, road trips are a great way to see the sights of Northern California. One of the most underrated road trips through Northern California will take you to this side of the state’s most majestic lighthouses. So not only will you still get to see the beautiful beaches of Northern California, you’ll get to experience these historic lighthouses, too! If you’re traveling with kids who aren’t thrilled at the idea of seeing lighthouses, we’ve mapped out a family-friendly road trip in Northern California that’ll take you to more whimsical attractions, like the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Jelly Belly factory, and more.  

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25 Places To Ride Trains in Northern California

by DayTrippen

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Enjoy our list of exciting list of train rides in Northern California. The list includes tourist railroads, dinner train rides, steam train excursions, kids trains, and railway museums that offer train rides. We might have missed out on some Northern California train rides. If you know of any, big or small, please let us know so we can add them to the list.

Northern California Train Rides

Napa Valley Wine Train

The Napa Valley Wine Train runs along a line built in 1847 to take visitors to the Calistoga resort. Today, the train runs as far as St. Helena and is rated one of the top twenty rail journeys in the world. Travelers view the vineyards while riding in vintage 1915-1947 Pullman Dining, Lounge, or Vista Dome cars.

Sonoma Train Town

Parents and grandparents will appreciate the budget-friendly prices while the kids revel in the carnival-like atmosphere. There is a small fee for park rides and train tickets but no general admission fee for visitors who prefer to keep their feet on the ground and skip the rides.

Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad

The railroad track is about a mile long, and rides last about eight minutes. Adults can relax and enjoy the nostalgia while children ooh and aah as the locomotives pass over the bridge at Los Gatos Creek and continue adjoining Vasona Park.

Skunk Train-Fort Bragg

The train trip from Fort Bragg is called the Pudding Creek Express and is a seven-mile round trip.  The Willits train is called the Wolf Tree Run and is a 2-hour round trip. Passengers enjoy beautiful Northern California scenery with views of redwood trees and the Noyo River.

Niles Canyon Railway

Historic Niles Canyon Railway runs from Sunol to Niles and back, offering departures and arrivals from both towns on most Sundays throughout the year. The Pacific Locomotive Association has railroad equipment on display and alternates between steam and diesel locomotives on Sunday runs.

Redwood Valley Steam Train

The Redwood Valley Steam Train has been operating within Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley for more than fifty years. It’s a fully operational miniature railway with a fleet of replicas of significant steam engines from the past. The railroad has one and a quarter miles of track to run these trains.

Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad

The Sacramento Valley Railroad offers train and motorcar rides along a section of Southern Pacific’s Placerville Branch railroad right-of-way. Rides last 30 to 45 minutes and feature scenic views of the Sacramento Valley.

Oakland Zoo Train

Experience a unique adventure at the zoo by hopping on the “Outback Express Adventure Train.” This exciting train ride takes you through the “Wild Australia” exhibit, where you can observe several emus and wallabies native to the Australian outback. The train ride is the only way to see these animals in the zoo, so don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Folsom City Zoo Train

Folsom Valley Railway is adjacent to the zoo and is a perfect place to end your day trip. This fun little train is the only 12-inch gauge railroad in the United States. A miniature steam engine pulls open-air rail cars along with a mile-long track.

Nevada City Railroad Museum

This narrow-gauge railroad is a sight to behold for model railroad fans. It’s well maintained by volunteers who strive to preserve rail history in this area. See a fantastic display of rolling stock, tunnels, buildings, and more. Train rides on select weekends during the summer season. Seasonal events year-round.

Western Railway Museum

Western Railway Museum allows visitors to ride historic streetcars and interurban electric trains from California and other western states. Streetcars loop the shaded picnic grounds. Interurban cars run over the restored main line of the old Sacramento Northern Railway.

Northern California Train Rides San Jose Trolley

San Jose used to have a vast electric trolley car system with 130 miles of track. By 1938, the streetcars were replaced by automobiles and buses. Today, visitors to San Jose’s Kelley Park can ride restored trolley cars on most weekends. Tracks run from the trolley barn through the park to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.

Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad

Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad is an exciting 4-mile railroad excursion at Yosemite Park’s south gate on Highway 41. Ride into history where powerful locomotives hauled massive log trains through the Sierra Mountains.

San Francisco Zoo Little Puffer

San Francisco Zoo’s little puffer train is older than the zoo itself. It started as a tourist train along the beach in Santa Cruz in 1907.  In 1925, the little puffer started a 50-year run shuttling guests around the zoo. The train was retired in 1978 and returned to service at the zoo in 1997.

Sacramento River Fox Train

The Sacramento River Fox Train runs from West Sacramento 10 miles to the outskirts of Woodland and back. The Train starts at the edge of the Sacramento River and then travels through fertile farmland for five miles before it reverses back to the train depot.

Roaring Camps Railway

Roaring Camp’s steam engine collection is among America’s oldest and most accurately preserved regularly scheduled passenger service trains. Roaring Camp offers two different tours to suit your tastes. The Roaring Camp & Big Trees is a steam-powered narrow-gauge line using Shay and Heisler locomotives.

Jamestown 1897 Park

Jamestown 1897 State Historical Park’s one-of-a-kind experience affords visitors a unique understanding of jumping aboard authentic steam and diesel locomotives. Ride in vintage passenger coaches on a six-mile, 40-minute round-trip ride through the scenic Sierra Nevada foothills.

Gilroy Family Gardens Train

Bonfante Railroad at Gilroy Family Gardens is a narrow-gauge railroad pulled by a 1/3 scale replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive. The stops at two stations as it circles the theme park. Highlights of this train trip include the greenhouse, a tunnel, a waterfall, and a bridge.

Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola

Shadowbrook features an inclined elevator that takes guests from the parking lot to the dining room adjacent to Soquel Creek. Riding the funicular railway is a fun start for an evening of dining at the historic Shadowbrook Restaurant.

Casa de Fruta Train

Casa de Fruta’s Narrow Gauge Railroad runs on a two-mile-long track adjacent to Pacheco Creek.  This little train trip is extensive for a miniature train and lasts about 20 minutes. Casa de Fruta also features a carousel and a kind of playground. And, of course, there is the original fruit stand and a 24-hour restaurant on the premises. 10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy, Hollister, CA 95023

Northern California Train Rides Cover Apple Ranch

Cover’s Apple Ranch Narrow Gauge Railroad traveled past a pond and threw two tunnels around the ranch.  Trains run on Saturday only along the 1,800-foot track and cost only $2.00 per person: cover Apple Ranch 19211 Cherokee Rd Tuolumne, CA 95379.

Pixie Express Train

Pixie Express is one of three rides at Pixie Woods Children’s Park in Stockton. This fun little train travels through Pixie Forest,  past Frontier Town, and around the park’s lagoon. Rides on the train only cost a few dollars. If you live in the area, you can buy a season pass and ride all day.

Swanton Pacific Railroad

Swanton Pacific Railroad features one-third-scale steam locomotives from the 1915 San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The museum is open twice each year for special event days. They also host private events. Swanton Pacific Ranch is located in Santa Cruz County and is owned by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Timber Heritage Association Eureka

Timber Heritage Association offers speeder rides on the fourth Saturday of June, July, August, and September.  This scenic four-mile round-trip ride runs along  Humboldt Bay to Manila. The speeder is run along Waterfront Drive in Old Town Eureka on special occasions. The association houses its collection at the historic Roundhouse in Samoa, California.

Howarth Park Train Santa Rosa

Howarth Park is a 138-acre community park in Santa Rosa , California. The park features an excellent fishing lake, a small amusement area with a carousel, an animal farm, pony rides, and a miniature train. The train takes visitors on a quarter-mile ride with a tunnel and a bridge. There is a small fee to ride the train—kids 12 and under ride for free with an adult.

Closed but not forgotten  The Sierra Railroad ,  the third oldest railroad in North America

More Places to Ride Trains

Southern California Train Ride s – Nevada Train Rides

California state railway museum.

Love train rides, but it’s been awhile since doing my Skunk Train trip a few decades ago, just don’t remember driving to Willits CA from Fresno, to do it. Too bad I don’t find a train trip from Fresno to Ft. Brag, to avoid a long drive. Wanted to take a couple g-kids & mom on that trip. My grandfather worked for the RR in Santa Rosa, CA back in probably 1930’s or so for a long time. I used to go from Santa Rosa to Eureka in the summers as a teen. Great info on the trains and all in this article.

I enjoy train rides also, that’s why I have so many listed on the website. Unfortunately Google has buried the information so deep in it’s search results, (prefereing mega sites) no one can find it. But I’m glad you found my site and enjoyed the list of train rides. 🙂

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Niles Canyon Railway

A railroad museum where the exhibits come to life!

Searching for a Recipe Book…

As we write this on April 23, 2024, we ironically find that it is World Book Day, and a book is something we are searching for. Read on to learn more about our quest to find an original Great Northern Ranch Car recipe book.

Back to Building East…

On Saturday, April 6, 2024 after a several month hiatus, our Build East Construction Crew gathered back to start laying track east of Happy Valley Bridge. Along with a side trip to and from Brightside yard to the work site for a thank you lunch, the crew was able to get 6 track panels put into place adding nearly 200 feet of new track

Come Enjoy the Blossoms of the Mudball Express

On October 8th, 2023, one of our trains departed Sunol with a load of Boy Scouts on board to carry out an Eagle Scout project to help bring more blooms to our Niles Canyon. Here is the story from what became the Mudball Express as recounted by Niles Canyon Railway volunteer, Jason Pate.

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California Railroads: Map, History, Abandoned Lines

Last revised: October 11, 2023

By:  Adam Burns

California railroads are, in a nutshell, entirely in a class by themselves.

While the state was late in being accessed by the nation’s ever growing rail grid compared to states like New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania all of whom had over 300 miles of trackage by 1840.

- It’s first railroad did not appear until the 1850s although much of this is due to the then territory’s obscurity, until the Gold Rush of the 1840s changed everything. -

It did not take long for California to catch up!  After the Gold Rush and completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, California's railroads exploded to over 2,000 miles by 1880.

Today, the state remains one of the top in the country with key main lines crisscrossing the state carrying both passengers, daily commuters, and plenty of freight.

As can be seen in the below graph, California has abandoned roughly half of its all-time rail mileage.  Defunct lines litter the state, many of which were secondary branch lines and agricultural corridors. 

At one time a great deal of the state's booming farming industry, including perishables, shipped their product by rail.  Today, much of this has been siphoned away by the trucking industry.  

Standard-gauge railroads in California have their official beginning in 1856 when the Sacramento Valley Railroad completed its 22-mile line connecting Sacramento with Folsom, California.

However, it was the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 between the Central Pacific (which would become part of the Southern Pacific) and Union Pacific that actually kicked off the state’s explosion of railroads and more importantly, its economy, as people began flocking to California in droves.

The Central Pacific Railroad got its start by the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862, created by Congress and signed into law by President Lincoln.

The CP was planned by Theodore Judah and financed by what became known as the "Big Four"; Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins.

The railroad began construction in 1863 and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Abandoned Lines

California has lost roughly 3,500 miles of its infrastructure since the 1920's.  Like most states, most of these abandonments occurred after 1965.

Despite such a large loss, most of the state's removed lines consist of secondary or agricultural branches operated predominantly by Southern Pacific.  In addition, some Santa Fe and Union Pacific trackage has also been removed.

Notable abandonments include:

• SP's fabled "Modoc Line" through northeastern California (which acted as inside gateway from its Cascade Line to Overland Route)
• Northwestern Pacific Railroad running the northwestern coast to Eureka (officially out of service but unlikely to see trains ever again)
• Pacific Electric Railway (the largest interurban in the U.S. operating 1,100 miles and serving Los Angeles and its suburbs of San Bernardino, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Hollywood, Redondo, Pomona, Riverside, Santa Monica, and San Fernando)
• Most of the Sacramento Northern between San Francisco and Oroville
• Logging operations, in particular the  McCloud River Railroad and West Side Lumber
• Most of the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad which ran from a connection with the Santa Fe at Ludlow to Goldfield, Nevada.  All operations ceased in 1940.

By 1880, eleven years after the completion of the transcontinental line California featured a staggering 2,185 route miles of railroads!

Today, the state holds over 6,000 miles of trackage with much of it concentrated around the its ten largest cities (the rest of which mostly fans outward north, south, east, and west in the way of key main lines).

State Mileage Chart

First Railroad

* California's very first railroad actually put into service was the Arcata & Mad River Railroad.  According to Dr. George W. Hilton's book, "American Narrow Gauge Railroads," it was organized in 1854 by the Union Company as the Union Wharf & Plank Walk Company for the purpose of moving lumber from schooners docked at a pier in Union (Arcata) along Humboldt Bay near Eureka. 

It used wooden rails via a horse tramway system and was built to a gauge of 3 feet, 9 1/4 inches. In 1855, 2 miles of this track was in service. In 1875 its name was changed to the Union Plank Walk & Railroad Company.  It became the Arcata & Mad River Railroad in 1880 and throughout its corporate existence handled timber traffic.

By the early 20th century California was booming and so were its railroads. In all the state would find itself home to some of the most legendary and celebrated Class I railroads of all time.

These include names like the Union Pacific, Western Pacific, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific. Of all these classic systems, the Southern Pacific stands far above the rest as it completely dominated California.

The “Espee” is as synonymous with the Golden State as the Pennsylvania Railroad is with the State of Pennsylvania.

The SP served every large market in the state and likewise moved about every type of freight imaginable heading east.

Some of this included things like perishables from the San Joaquin Valley, a once massive operation that provided significant profits for the SP.

Today, however, these are little more than abandoned spurs and buildings dotting the valley where the railroad used to load and ice its cargo (the service died upon SP’s poor service in the late 1970s which today, while making a small comeback, still almost exclusively relies on trucks to move fresh goods such as lettuce, carrots, and cabbage). 

Other traffic included merchandise, intermodal, and automotive parts.

While the former two are still bustling, automotive parts are another traffic source that has mostly dried up particularly in the once industrialized booming and bustling San Francisco bay area.

At one time Southern Pacific dispatched several trains a day in and out of the city. However, by the 1970s this traffic began to disappear as plants in the area closed.

Today, San Francisco is completely devoid of almost all freight rail service and all that remains is commuter and light rail operations. 

Even the Southern Pacific itself is gone. A once extremely dominate and profitable large western railroad, the Espee began to lose its way in the 1970s and by the 1980s was a mere shell of its former self.

One aspect of California's railroad history often overlooked as its interurban/streetcar industry.  In the West these systems were scattered and fewer in number than throughout the Midwest and East. 

However, the Golden State boasted 1,295 miles of interurbans during its peak in the early 1900's. 

According to the book, " The Electric Interurban Railways In America " by authors George Hilton and John Due, this ranked the state 3rd in all-time mileage.  The  most notable systems included:

• Sacramento Northern Railway
• Sacramento Valley West Side Electric Railway
• Central California Traction Company
• Tidewater Southern Railway
• Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad
• San Francisco, Napa & Calistoga Railway
• Peninsular Railway
• Visalia Electric Railroad
• Pacific Coast Railway
• Nevada County Traction Company
• Watsonville Traction Company
• Pacific Electric Railway

Alas, all were largely gone by World War II save for the Pacific Electric and Sacramento Northern which survived for a few more years as freight carriers.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad eventually purchased it in 1988, which assumed the Southern Pacific name.

In 1996 both of these venerable railroads disappeared into the Union Pacific fold. 

Although the SP disappeared in the 1990s it left behind, and is famous for, several California railroad landmarks.

These include its two famous main lines, the  Overland Route  connecting northern California with Ogden, Utah and its  Sunset Route , connecting most of southern California with much of the Southwest and Deep South.

From point to point the  Sunset Route  connects New Orleans with Los Angeles!

In all the Southern Pacific would grow to a system of over 15,000 miles in length, almost twice the size of the Union Pacific prior to the merger movement.

The SP is also noted for its Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada Range and Tehachapi Loop near Tehachapi, California.

For all of its prestige in relation to California the Southern Pacific, of course, was not the only well-known railroad operating in the state.

The Western Pacific was another famed railroad to be found within California's borders.

The smallest of California's classic large systems, its Feather River Canyon main line between Reno and Sacramento (in all it connected the Bay Area with Salt Lake City, Utah) is arguably the state’s most beautiful route and it is still operated today by Union Pacific as an important main line. 

Prior to the merger movement the Union Pacific did not have much of a presence in California although its main line connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles did provide the railroad with important sources of traffic and continues to do so even today.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.

It was the Southern Pacific’s main competition in California and the Southwest as the two railroads competed for much of the same traffic.

The legendary Santa Fe system was massive stretching from Chicago to western Louisiana, as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles, although its Californian routes were never quite as strategic as the Espee’s.

The Santa Fe’s most well known California railroad landmark is Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino mountain range in the southern part of the state.

The ATSF is also celebrated for its many mission-style depots and stations it built in the southwest, including California. Today, Santa Fe’s lines in the Golden State are operated by its successor the BNSF Railway.

Current Railroads

• Union Pacific
• BNSF Railway
• Arizona & California Railroad
• California Northern Railroad
• Carrizo Gorge Railway
• Central California Traction
• Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad
• Goose Lake Railway
• Los Angeles Junction Railway
• Modesto & Empire Traction
• Modoc Northern Railroad
• Oakland Terminal Railway
• Pacific Harbor Line
• Quincy Railroad
• Richmond Pacific Railroad
• Sacramento Valley Railroad
• San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad
• Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway
• Santa Maria Valley Railroad
• San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway
• San Joaquin Valley Railroad
• Sierra Northern Railway
• Stockton Terminal & Eastern Railroad
• Trona Railway
• Ventura County Railroad
• West Isle Line, Inc.
• West Oakland Pacific Railroad
• Yreka Western Railroad

Museums and Attractions

Freight railroading aside, if you are a vacationer looking for places to visit or just a railfan who loves trains, California includes several museums and tourist lines.

Some of the state’s most recognized museums and tourist railroads include:

• California State Railroad Museum (an enormously popular museum well known throughout the country, not just in California) located in the former Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops
• California Western Railroad (The Skunk Train)
• Napa Valley Wine Train
• Niles Canyon Railway
• Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum
• Western Pacific Railroad Museum
• Shasta Sunset Dinner Train
• Western Railway Museum

Other non-freight railroads include California's ever-growing commuter, transit, and light rail systems.

The state is a leader in commuter rail and one reason behind this is its attempt to find ways to reduce its large amounts of carbon monoxide emissions, mostly from highway traffic.

The state’s commuter rail system includes the CalTrain (the Bay Area), Metrolink (Southern California), and Altamont Commuter Express (serving the Central valley and the Silicon valley). 

Of course, the state is also home to plenty of local services like Amtrak’s Surfliner and Capitol Corridor operations part of the passenger carrier’s and state’s Amtrak California services as well as San Francisco’s famous trolley system. 

In all, California offers a multitude of things to experience and see so my advice is to simply find what interests you the most and start there first!

Whether it is the famous engineering marvels like Tehachapi and Cajon or railroad museums like CSRM and the famous Napa Valley Wine Train, there really is something for everyone in California.

Most importantly, whatever you might decide to do first, if and when you visit the Golden State, just remember to have fun!

SteamLocomotive.com

Wes Barris's SteamLocomotive.com is simply the best web resource on the study of steam locomotives. 

It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. 

It is quite staggering and a must visit!

© Copyright 2007-2024 American-Rails.com. All written content, photos, and videos copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted).

10 Affordable Yet Scenic Train Rides In California

Explore California's beauty on a budget with these 10 affordable scenic train rides, blending adventure and affordability seamlessly.

• Enjoy a scenic train ride in California to relax and unwind. Explore the state differently and avoid road traffic.
• Experience historical journeys, luxurious wine excursions, and holiday rides on California's railroads. Routes along the coastline offer beautiful views.
• Choose from affordable options like the Napa Valley Wine Train, Coast Starlight, and River Fox Train for a unique and enjoyable travel experience.

California is a beautiful, diverse state with many miles of coastline. Most people love to take scenic road trips in the Golden State as it is a chance to enjoy beautiful views of natural wonders. But, a train ride may be a good idea for travelers looking for something different. Taking a train trip lets you explore the state differently to relax and unwind. Plus, travelers don’t have to worry about road traffic.

The state has several railroads with trains offering historical journeys, luxurious wine excursions, and holiday rides. With routes going along the Pacific coastline and other beautiful places, travelers will enjoy these trips. Here are 10 affordable yet scenic train rides in California.​​​​​​

The Shortest Train Ride In The US Is In California (And It Only Costs $1 Per Trip)

10 napa valley wine train from napa to st. helena and back, tickets from $124.

Traveling to California wineries can be challenging for those using a car. Instead of the hustle, enjoy a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train . This 36-mile wine-tasting tour lets riders enjoy delicious wine and artisanal food ready to order onboard. The train includes a vintage Pullman rail car decorated with mahogany paneling and etched glass partitions, allowing travelers to see outside clearly. There are six hours of daytime dinner rides to choose from, or one can also opt for a three-hour journey on the 1915 Pullman Lounge.

• Distance: 36 miles
• Time: 6 hours
• Ticket price: From $124

9 Coast Starlight From San Diego To Seattle

Tickets from $100.

Want to enjoy more time on an Amtrak train? Consider the famous Coast Starlight , which travels through California. The journey takes about 35 hours and offers fantastic views of snow-peaked mountains, lush green forests, and stretches of the Pacific Ocean . It is considered one of the most affordable yet scenic train rides in California. Depending on where one sits, they can see Mount Shasta or Mount Rainier. The train offers an observation car, allowing travelers to see clear views of the surroundings.

• Distance: 1,377 miles
• Time: 34 hours
• Ticket price : From $100

8 River Fox Train: All Rides Begin And End At River Fox Train Station

Tickets from $69.

The River Fox Train was initially built in 1911. Today, it is a scenic train taking travelers along the beautiful Sacramento River in Yolo County’s countryside. Riders can enjoy theme rides, including beer and wine experiences, murder mystery rides, and holiday excursion trips. Along the way, passengers are treated to exceptional views of riverfront and ivy-draped woodlands. Like Skunk Train, the ride also includes a whimsical railbike experience.

• Distance: 10 miles
• Time: 1.5 hours
• Ticket price: From $69

7 Pacific Surfliner From San Diego To San Luis Obispo

Tickets from $61.

The Pacific Surfliner is Amtrak’s iconic train, offering a trip through San Diego and other beautiful counties. Some stretches of this ride are on the Pacific coastline. The train leaves San Diego and travels through Anaheim, then up to Los Angeles’ downtown environment. After, it proceeds to Santa Barbara, allowing travelers to see beautiful coastal views, enjoy fine wines, and witness film festivals. It then ends up in San Luis Obispo, the land of outdoor activities.

• Distance : 351 miles round trip
• Time: 9 hours
• Ticket price : From $61

6 Skunk Train: Wolf Tree Turn

Tickets for $60.

From Willits Valley floor to the highest point, this scenic train is one not to miss. Riders are taken through tunnel #2 and into the redwood-thick Noyo River Canyon, where they can discover mighty giants that were popular in Mendocino County back then. The train stops briefly at Crowley, and riders can take this chance to enjoy the beauty of an old and iconic tree on the route. Other sites to see are redwoods, towering mountains, and roaring rivers.

• Distance : 16 miles
• Time : 2 hours
• Ticket price : $60

12 Scenic Stops On A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Seattle

5 skunk train: pudding creek express from fort bragg to glen blair junction, tickets for $49.95.

The Skunk Train rides are history-filled, and this trip is no different. Travelers can enjoy fresh forest air as their minds are taken back to 1885 when the railroad was constructed. This historical train journey introduces travelers to the exceptional beauty of Northern California. It is a trip into ancient redwood forests. The train makes a quick stop at Glen Blair Junction, where visitors can enjoy the tranquil setting. Then, the journey continues through the beautiful landscapes.

• Distance : 7 miles
• Time : 75 minutes
• Ticket price: $49.95

4 Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

Tickets from $35.

For a chance to see trees and wildlife, ride along the historic Madera Sugar Pine Railroad. The train goes along Yosemite National Park’s environs, letting riders enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Sierra Mountains. Passengers can check out stunning views from inside the train, and those interested in more treats can choose to ride the gold mine trail excursion for a chance to mine gold. Alternatively, one can enjoy the Moonlight Special ride and a tasty barbecue under the stars.

• Distance : 4 miles
• Time: 1 hour
• Ticket price: From $35

3 Niles Canyon Railroad From Sunol To Fremont

Tickets from $30.

The Niles Canyon Railroad rides around Niles Canyon, a stunning San Francisco Bay Area region. The journey lets travelers enjoy fantastic historical places, allowing them to view the beautifully preserved architecture on the route. Those on board can take advantage of the leisurely pace the train runs at to enjoy themed events. Passengers can enjoy tea excursions, wine and beer-tasting rides, and other regular charity events.

• Distance : 9.2 miles
• Time : A little over an hour
• Ticket price : From $30

2 Placerville Sacramento Valley Railroad From Hampton To El Dorado

Tickets for $10.

Here is a chance to enjoy the heart of the Gold Country without a rush. The leisurely trip offers jaw-dropping views of the Sacramento Valley, and some rides go over the incredible Deer Creek Bridge. Travelers can choose from various themed rides, some offering picnics while others offering beer tasting on board. Taking this ride is an excellent way to see California.

• Distance: 15 miles
• Time : 90 minutes
• Ticket price: $10 for adults

10 Scenic Train Trips To Take From Los Angeles

1 poway-midland railroad from poway to campo, tickets from $1.50.

The Poway-Midland Railroad train ride goes through the grounds of Old Poway Park. It is a vintage railroad with vintage cars and equipment. This leisurely trip offers trains as the main attraction. The park is beautiful and surrounded by trees and many green spaces. However, something is alluring about the boxcars themselves. They are built to offer relaxing and comfortable rides for travelers of all types.

• Distance: Half a mile
• Time: 20 minutes
• Ticket price : From $1.50

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The California State Railroad Museum — your Museum — is the keeper of stories. Together, we collect them, we preserve them, and we tell them.

Help us protect our future by supporting the history of Sacramento’s treasure, the biggest draw for visitors in our region, The California State Railroad Museum. All of the businesses in the community are raised if we are successful. People come from all over the world to visit our museum and ride our trains along the Sacramento River.

We want to be ready to celebrate as a community as soon as this pandemic has subsided. Every. Gift. Counts. Now more than ever, our community deserves a reason to feel good. With your help, we will be ready. Please give whatever you can today.

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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 $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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What’s the difference between California’s 2 high-speed rail projects?

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Work has officially begun on a bullet train to connect Southern California with Las Vegas, bringing the number of active high-speed rail projects in California to two.

The groundbreaking of Brightline West took place April 22, just months after the endeavor was awarded billions from the federal government to get the project off the ground.

In December, the Biden Administration began releasing billions in federal grant funding to passenger rail projects across the country, including earmarking more than $6 billion for the two ambitious projects currently underway in California.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority was awarded a historic $3.07 billion in grant funding from the Biden Administration for its state-spanning rail system, while Brightline West was chosen to receive around $3 billion for its SoCal-to-Las Vegas bullet train.

Both projects aim to transport passengers to their destination at high speeds from the comfort of electric-powered trains while providing thousands of union jobs during construction. But their similarities mostly end there.

So what’s the difference between the California High-Speed Rail and Brightline West?

First and foremost: scale.

The California High-Speed Rail project, aka CAHSR, is the most ambitious public works project in California since the interstate and freeway system was built. The system, in its final form, if it ever becomes a reality, will transport passengers from as far north as Sacramento to as far south as San Diego . But it’s probably best known for being billed as the connector between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

The CAHSR will be opened in segments. The first, known simply as the “initial operating segment,” will be located in the Central Valley, connecting the community of Merced to the city of Bakersfield some 170 miles south. Construction on that portion of the system is already well underway and it could begin operation as soon as 2030.

After that, construction will focus on coming through with the promise of L.A. to San Francisco in what’s been referred to as “Phase 1.”

That segment is more than 500 miles and will include some of the largest man-made tunnels ever constructed in both Northern and Southern California. That portion of the project will trail behind the initial operating segment by several years.

The additional legs, including Sacramento to San Diego, will represent the “complete” system. That extension of the project is still significantly more than a decade away and officials say much of that planning will need to be redone for the modern day before an exact timeline can be determined.

Meanwhile, the Brightline West project is a relatively straight shot, 218 miles between the Inland Empire and Las Vegas. About 80% of the system will reside in California, following along Interstate 15 between Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga.

That system could be up and running by as early as 2028, officials said, possibly in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Speaking of Interstate 15, another key difference between CAHSR and Brightline is what’s called “right of way,” and it’s possibly the biggest hurdle (aside from funding) these types of projects encounter. A right of way literally means that the train has permission to operate in the area.

The SoCal-to-Vegas bullet train benefits from a relatively uncomplicated right of way. The train will operate alongside Interstate 15 and usage agreements to grant the train permission to operate in that space were established years ago.

Meanwhile, the California High-Speed Rail has the challenge of having to deal with multiple owners of various rights of way. Different cities, counties, freight companies and power companies all have individual property rights and points of interest along the system’s proposed track. The Authority is required to purchase or negotiate the use of these rights of way before any tracks can be laid. That process can be both time-consuming and costly, making it one of the major reasons for the project’s slow development and ballooning price tag.

And on the topic of costs, the single-biggest difference between the two projects is the method for funding.

The California High-Speed Rail is a public endeavor, funded by taxpayers at the state level, with some support from the federal government. The complete system will cost tens of billions of dollars and only a portion of the funding has been acquired so far, but the CAHSR Authority is in constant search of additional funds to make the entire project a reality.

The project has the added costs of needing to build bridges and other structures to keep vehicle and pedestrian traffic from coming into the path of the trains, in addition to the required construction of several new dedicated train stations along its path.

December’s grant from the Biden administration all but ensures that the Merced to Bakersfield portion of the system will be completed and will begin operation in the coming years.

On the other hand, Brightline West is a private company, and despite receiving major help and cash from the federal government, it plans to find the rest of the required funding for the project on its own.

In January, Brightline received a $2.5 billion injection in the form of private activity bonds issued from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which it will eventually have to pay back.

The $3 billion grant the company received from the federal government in December, plus the new funding from those bonds, is enough to get the project off the ground, but the company will have to obtain financing for the rest of the construction.

The current estimated price tag is around $12 billion and Brightline previously committed to contributing $10 billion to the project, which includes the construction of its own stations along the path, including a new state-of-the-art transit center in Rancho Cucamonga that will be adjacent to an existing Metrolink station.

Despite their differences, and a nationwide conversation about the best and most-effective method for revolutionizing America’s transportation industry, the projects are being built with effective communication and cooperation between them, officials said.

The two groups have even discussed setting up a connection in the Palmdale area, Brightline says.

Both projects have received bipartisan support at the state level and federal backing by President Joe Biden, who is known for his affinity for passenger rail service.

Biden has been critical of the country’s lagging infrastructure, including rail service, which he’s said has paled in comparison to other developed nations.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has lobbied the president for support of the state’s high-speed rail projects.

In October 2023, Newsom took a  trip to China  to discuss clean energy and climate change initiatives, but he also had the opportunity to ride on the country’s high-speed rail system, which spans more than 26,000 miles and was built in a fraction of the time it has taken the American system to get off the ground.

Following the trip,  Newsom wrote a letter  to the president, thanking him for his continued support of California’s clean energy initiatives and urging him to approve the California High-Speed Rail’s grant application to allow for the initial operating segment to open as planned.

In December, following the news of the two projects getting big federal cash boosts, Newsom released a statement in which he promoted California as the epicenter for progress in the industry.

“California is delivering on the first 220-mph, electric high-speed rail project in the nation,” Newsom said. “This show of support from the Biden-Harris Administration is a vote of confidence in today’s vision and comes at a critical turning point, providing the project new momentum.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.

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TikTok faces a ban in the US, Tesla profits drop and healthcare data leaks

TikTok's fate in the U.S. looks uncertain after President Joe Biden signed a bill that included a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest itself of TikTok within nine months or face a ban on distributing it in the U.S. Ivan writes about how the impact of TikTok bans in other countries could signal what’s to come stateside. California drones grounded: In more Amazon news, the tech giant confirmed that it's ending Prime Air drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California.

New Bills WR Keon Coleman makes hilarious first impression with Macy's shopping advice and more

If nothing else, the Bills have a player who can recognize a good deal.

NFL Draft: Undrafted free agent signings include Frank Gore Jr. to Bills, Sam Hartman to Commanders

The NFL Draft is over, but there's still news breaking. Stay updated with Yahoo Sports.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones compared his 2024 NFL Draft strategy to robbing a bank

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made an amusing analogy when asked why the team selected three offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft.

NBA Playoffs: Celtics flex muscle to take 2-1 lead over Heat

The Celtics led by as much as 29 in Game 3.

NFL Draft: Alabama safety Jaylen Key is 'Mr. Irrelevant' as Jets take him with final pick

Alabama safety Jaylen Key was selected with the 257th and final pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mike Tomlin says Russell Wilson has lead for QB spot but Justin Fields will compete

Mike Tomlin said Russell Wilson is currently the Steelers' QB1.

Ford Ranger vs Chevy Colorado: 2024 Comparison

Expert advice comparing the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado and 2024 Ford Ranger's power, towing, mpg, safety, price and specs, including the Raptor and ZR2.

Google asks court to reject the DOJ’s lawsuit that accuses it of monopolizing ad tech

Google filed a motion on Friday in a Virginia federal court seeking summary judgment for the Department of Justice's antitrust case against it. The DOJ sued Google at the beginning of 2023 for alleged monopolistic practices.

NBA playoffs: Cavs score only 29 second-half points in Game 4 vs. Magic, losing 112–89

Poor shooting plagued the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 112–89 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

NFL Draft: Florida State QB Jordan Travis, who broke his leg late last season, picked by Jets

Jordan Travis was a fifth-round pick and a good value for the Jets.

Shoppers in their 50s and 60s gush about this No. 1 bestselling moisturizer with sunscreen and it’s just $15

When the sun's out, this is the cream that over 62,000 rave reviewers reach for.