Los Angeles to San Francisco overnight train a step closer to reality

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Rendering courtesy Dreamstar

LOS ANGELES - A luxury, high-tech overnight train connecting travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco is one step closer to reality.

Newport Beach-based transit startup Dreamstar Lines announced it has signed an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad allowing it to operate its trains on Union Pacific's tracks linking Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

"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. "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."

According to Dreamstar, the train cars will offer private rooms, lay-flat beds, in-room showers, high-speed Internet access, and food and drink service.

The company is also exploring an "add-on auto transport service" allowing travelers to bring their own cars on board to make travel even easier once they arrive at their final destination after the overnight journey, but did not give further details.

"An ostensibly two-hour flight, when one accounts for travel to and from airports, check-in and security, can take up to six hours total. With next-generation sleeper trains, the same distance can be covered in just two or three "waking" hours – and they’re not spent crammed into an 18-inch wide airline seat," the company said in a press release.

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Dreamstar must also sign agreements with Caltrain - the commuter rail line serving the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley (Silicon Valley) - and Metrolink, Southern California's commuter rail system serving Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties, as well as to Oceanside in San Diego County.

The company plans to start service - if all goes according to plan - as early as summer 2025.

Meanwhile, work is progressing on two other separate train projects in California - Brightline West's Las Vegas to Los Angeles bullet train, as well as the state's high-speed rail project.