It’s still in the beginning phases but a new luxurious overnight train could soon connect San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Dreamstar Lines, a transit start-up based out of Newport Beach, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (or MOU) with major freight company Union Pacific Railroad that would allow the former to operate on the latter’s tracks through the Central Coast.
“Our collaboration with Union Pacific Railroad is a significant milestone for Dreamstar Lines and for the future of private rail travel in the United States,” said Joshua Dominic, CEO of Dreamstar Lines, Inc, according to KTLA. “By launching this service, we are not only offering a luxurious and eco-friendly travel option but also revitalizing the rich heritage of overnight rail travel in America.”
Here’s what the startup has revealed so far: The high-tech train cars will offer private rooms and beds that will let riders lay flat, plus in-room showers, high-speed Internet access and food and drink service.
There are even talks about an “add-on auto transport service” that would allow ticketholders to bring their own cars on board as well, KTLA reported—but “the company did not say how that system would work,” the outlet added.
Although Union Pacific owns the majority of the 470-mile stretch between the two cities, Dreamstar still needs to come to an agreement with Caltrain and Metrolink, two other regional transit operators that own some of the tracks that Dreamstar would have to use on the route.
If all goes as planned and proper agreements are made in a timely manner, the service could debut as early as the summer of 2025.
According to SFGate, the last night train to connect the Bay Area and Los Angeles stopped operating back in 1983. It’s clearly a big deal, especially when you consider the current state of train service between L.A. and the Bay Area: a mash-up of overlong train and bus combinations or an 11-and-a-half-hour Amtrak train into Oakland.