Dreamstar Lines is a privately-owned passenger railroad company based in Newport Beach, CA. Dreamstar is planning a nightly inter-city service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The train would share the same routes as Amtrak, Metrolink, and Caltrain. Service is anticipated to launch as early as 2025, succeeding the Lark that ended in 1968.[1][2]
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| Service type | Inter-city long distance rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Planned | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First service | 2025 (anticipated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current operator(s) | Dreamstar Lines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | dreamstarlines.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Union Station, Los Angeles, California, US 4th and King Street Station, San Francisco, California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Diesel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed |
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| Track owner(s) | Union Pacific Caltrain Metrolink | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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History
editJake Vollebregt and Thomas Eastmond founded Dreamstar Lines in Newport Beach, CA. By 2023, the company publicized plans for an overnight “hotel train” as an alternative to flying, reviving a service that had discontinued 55 years prior.[3] In April 2024, Joshua Dominic assumed leadership of the project.[4] That month, Dreamstar signed a memorandum of understanding with Union Pacific Railroad to operate trains on its right-of-way.[5] On November 13, 2024, it contracted Santa Monica-based Designworks to draw up railcar design concepts.[6][7][8]
Service
editOverview
editUnder Dreamstar’s current proposal, two trains, one headed north and one headed south, would run every night, departing from each terminus at 10:00 p.m. and arriving at their final destination the next day at 8:30 a.m. This schedule is similar to the red-eye travel in commercial flying.[9] The trains would have intermediate station stops and crew turnovers near each end of the route, including in San Jose, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.[10]
Dreamstar's trainsets would consist of restored, historic bi-level cars. Onboard amenities include two sleeping arrangements; private rooms with lie-flat beds and premium bedrooms; a lounge with open seating and bar, as well as breakfast delivery.[6] Dreamstar’s tentative plan would also allow passengers to transport their automobiles on the train,[11] an accommodation derived from Amtrak’s Auto Train.
Dreamstar is expected to commence service in summer 2025.
Route description
editUnder the plan, Dreamstar would operate between the Union Station in Los Angeles and the 4th and King Street station in San Francisco. The train would travel through California’s Central Coast region on a railroad known as the “Coast Line”, which is owned by Union Pacific and also serves Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner.[1] Portions of Dreamstar’s planned route also coincide with Metrolink’s Ventura County Line between Los Angeles and Montalvo, and Caltrain’s corridor between Gilroy and San Francisco. Dreamstar’s service retraces Southern Pacific’s Lark that ran from 1910 to 1968, as well as Amtrak’s short-lived Spirit of California.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Plans for private San Francisco-Los Angeles overnight sleeping car service revived". Trains. March 26, 2024.
- ^ Rahmanan, Anna (April 9, 2024). "A luxe overnight train from L.A. to San Francisco may soon become a reality". Time Out Los Angeles.
- ^ Peter Alan, David (April 27, 2023). "Dreamstar Lines: Back to the Future?". Railway Age. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Yoshida, Yuika (April 15, 2024). "Dreamstar Lines Links With Union Pacific". Orange County Business Journal. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Asperin, Alexa Mae (April 12, 2024). "Los Angeles to San Francisco Overnight Train a Step Closer to Reality". Fox 11 Los Angeles. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ a b "Dreamstar Lines commissions Designworks for luxury overnight rail service". Railway Technology. Global Data. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ Kessler, Juliette (November 14, 2024). "Dreamstar Lines Partners with BMW's Designworks for Luxury LA-SF Overnight Train Project". Hoodline. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ Asperin, Alexa Mae (November 14, 2024). "Los Angeles to San Francisco luxury overnight train project names designer for rail cars". Fox 11 Los Angeles. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ Mailman, Erika (April 19, 2023). "A new night train will whisk you from San Francisco to Los Angeles as soon as this fall". Time Out. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Buchanan, Bill (April 17, 2023). "'It can work': Plans for an SF-LA night train are underway". SFGate. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
The train would stop at existing stations along the route, such as Santa Barbara, San Jose and San Luis Obispo. This would require agreements with stations' owners, which vary by city.
- ^ Golson, Daniel (April 11, 2024). "Here comes a luxury train from Los Angeles to San Francisco and it might even carry fancy cars". Quartz. Jalopnik.