A small company from Newport Beach, California is working to launch a nightly first-class passenger train service between Los Angeles and San Francisco, SFGate reported.
The company, Dreamstar Lines Inc., told the publication that it’s working on “lining up the railcars, financing, staffing and agreements needed to offer the first night train on the route in decades.”
Dreamstar Lines Inc. is in talks with Union Pacific and Metrolink, who own or control a portion of the 470-mile route. Union Pacific Railroad Co. and Metrolink confirmed to KTLA that they are in communication with Dream Lines Inc.
KTLA has reached out to Dream Lines Inc. regarding the train proposal but has not heard back at this time.
While many Californians opt to drive or fly between the two cities, Dreamstar founder and adviser Tom Eastmond told the publication that the new service would “annihilate distance through slumber” by allowing travelers to sleep in private rooms as the train travels to San Francisco.
SFGate reported that the train would leave depart at 10 p.m. and arrive by 8:30 a.m. It would also use the same route as Amtrak’s Coast Starlight.
Fares would be $300, $600 and $1,000, Eastmond told SFGate.
Construction on another train that will take Southern California residents to Las Vegas is expected to start in 2023 after Brightline, the company behind the project, inked a deal with a coalition of major labor unions.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027, the International Railway Journey reported.
Trains can reach up to 200 miles per hour as they travel the 218-mile rail line. Brightline says they will be fully electric and emission-free.
The project also aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by eliminating the need for 3 million cars to travel to Las Vegas. Company officials hope the project will eliminate 400,000 tons of CO2 from roads annually and relieve traffic on Interstate 15.