Opinion: California Needs an Overnight SoCal-to-Bay Area Train

As Amtrak plans to “add and enhance” routes around the country thanks to new federal funding, Bill Buchanan argues in favor of a Los Angeles-to-San Francisco over night train, an option not available to California train riders since 1983 that could transform travel between California’s most populous regions.

“Dedicated overnight trains, or the equivalent of red-eye flights, are uncommon in the U.S.,” Buchanan writes. “Amtrak has at least one, between Boston and Washington on the Northeast Corridor, although the sleeping car added to that train last year isn’t operating at present.” 

Travel consultants say a Bay Area-to-Los Angeles train would need a comfortable lounge and sleeper cars, WiFi, and a dining car. Reasonably priced tickets would also draw riders if they can avoid the cost of gas or hotel rooms. “The state would have to do a lot of work before it could bring back an overnight train,” including agreement with the Union Pacific over track sharing, equipment availability, and more.

According to the article, “the state rail plan declares that California, by 2040, should have a system broad enough to attract 1.3 million rail riders per day, or ‘three times the number of passengers boarding flights at California’s seven largest airports … [the equal] of nearly 3,000 Boeing 747 jumbo jets.’” An L.A.-to-Bay Area red eye, Buchanan believes, would be a popular option for many riders.