Train tours are not just a trip mode, they are a passion for those who grew up with elaborate train sets and for others who choose to skip the plane and see the country at eye level. So for those who have a soft spot for all things rail, Los Angeles has some compelling activities in store.
Whether a train tour is in a traveler’s future or not, a trip to Los Angeles Union Station, is a must this September 9-10, where they can join train enthusiasts, history aficionados, industry professionals and commuters of all ages for the Los Angeles Union Station Train Festival 2023: A Celebration of Past, Present & Future. The event treats visitors to railroad equipment tours and displays, model train displays, architecture, arts and culture tours, information booths, music, giveaways, eateries, amenities, ShopLAUS and more.
Guests will have the opportunity to take exclusive tours of the trains and view displays of railroad equipment on tracks 13, 14, and 15. From the world-renowned Steam Locomotive Santa Fe 3751 of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society (SBRHS), which pulled the first names passenger train into Los Angeles Union Station in 1939, to modern day passenger and freight equipment, attendees able to walk through rail history and witness the technological advances spanning more than 100 years.
Los Angeles Union Station Train Festival
Displays for the truly passionate train geeks will include Amtrak passenger equipment, a BNSF Railway freight locomotive and the Southern California Railway Museum’s Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) 5704 diesel, which was one of five locomotives paints in a patriotic red, white, and blue scheme to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the United States.
Attendees can also admire an LARail.com vintage private car, the Tioga Pass, which was built in 1959 by the Canadian National Shops designs for railroad executives and the Pacific Railroad Society’s National Forum, a 1956 Pullman sleeping car. Metrolink’s F125 Locomotive will also on display while the company’s Talgo-Rehabilitate Bombardier Train Car and Rotem Cars will be available for attendees to tour inside.
Union Stations Train Tours
Union Station’s Ticket Concourse is also worth the visit for architecture, artwork and history on display. Train tourists can make their way through Union Station to learn about its impact as an architectural marvel, historic landmark, Hollywood film location favorite and buzzy hub for those traveling around, to or from Los Angeles. For a unique guides experience, visitors can join one of four Los Angeles Union Station Hidden Gems Tours – a guide walking tour held at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily, conducts by the director of construction and restoration. Registration is requires and space is limits specifically for the California Preservation Foundation tours.
A key highlight of the two-day event will include commemorative TAP Cards with a day’s worth of free Metro fare loaded onto each card given to each visitor at designated times each day.
Train enthusiasts who want to have a fun train tour day on the train instead of exterior viewing opportunities, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is now back on track, taking visitors and commuters between Los Angeles, San Diego and points in between.
Train Tours: A Spin on the Surfliner
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner once again operates daily train service following a prolongue closure to shore up tracks and infrastructure along the scenic ocean-view route following a battery of storms that hit Southern California last winter. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains are now operating to and from San Diego without a bus connection between Irvine and Oceanside, making 10 daily roundtrips daily.
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