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Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I purchase tickets?
- How long is the train ride?
- Where do I board the train?
- Are the trains wheelchair accessible?
- Do children need a ticket?
- Can I bring a stroller on the train?
- Will our large group be able to sit together?
- Can I save seats if someone in our group are running late?
- Are tickets refundable?
- What time should I arrive at the depot?
- Where do I park?
- Where do I pick up my tickets?
- What if it rains?
- Are there refreshments available on the train?
- What should I bring?
- Can the caboose be rented on a Train of Lights train?
- Can I charter an entire train?
- Who do I contact for more information?
- How do I buy tickets? Train of Lights tickets will go on sale
on our Web Site on Monday, October 12 at 10 a.m., and you can use a credit card to order
your tickets. The web page will tell you which trains still have tickets.
Tickets for all seats will be $25, for persons age 3 and older.
We will be running trains from both Niles and from Sunol. Please make sure that you know which station you wish to depart from, before you buy your tickets.
Our trains will run every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, between Friday November 27, through Wednesday December 23. We will also be running trains the weekend after Christmas, Saturday and Sunday, December 26 and 27. - Niles trains will depart at 4:15 PM and 6:45 PM.
- Sunol trains will depart at 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM.
- How long is the trip? The round trip from Sunol to Niles, and
from Niles to Sunol, takes a little over an hour (plus boarding and exiting time). There are
Porta-Potties at each station. Note that there are only a few restrooms on board the train for
emergency use, so please prepare accordingly.
The ride is about 60 minutes long, and the two trains will pass each other during the trip. - Where do I board the train? For a map and directions to the Sunol
Depot and the Niles Station, Click Here
- It is easy to get lost on the dark country roads around Sunol if you are not familiar with the area.
- Parking in downtown Niles and taking the shuttle bus to the Niles Station may be difficult to locate for first-time visitors.
- If for no other reason than to be able to find the depot on that important evening, you should consider coming to ride the train during a regular Sunday daytime operation.
- What about wheelchair access? The train is wheelchair accessible;
the caboose is not. Wheel chair space is limited to two (2) per train. Wheelchairs may not
move about the train due to the narrow aisles of the antique equipment.
If you will have a wheelchair in your group, or someone in need of special assistance, please mention this in the comments section when you purchase your tickets. You can check with the Station Agent in advance by calling (510) 996-8420. - Do children need a ticket? Everyone age three or older needs a ticket. However, infants and children under age three do not need a ticket if they are held on your lap. If your infant takes up a seat, they need a ticket.
- Can I bring a stroller? Strollers are discouraged, for a number of reasons. The aisles of the vintage cars are narrow, there is limited space in the vestibules of the cars, and the train will be crowded. It would be better if you can leave your strollers behind.
- Will our large group be able to sit together? There will be one
car with Reserved Seating on the Sunol Trains only.
- Golden Gate Railroad Museum SP 2979 Lounge Car.
- Reserved Seat Tickets will be $40 per seat, and will be handled at a seperate ticketing website.
All other tickets are $25 for General Seating. There are no other Reserved Seats (except for the handicap-accessible seats). If you purchase General Seating tickets, there are no guarantees that a group will be able to sit together.
You can purchase reserved seating tickets, or you can increase your chances of sitting together if you arrive arrive early, and board as a group.
If you arrive together and form up as a group before boarding, the Car Host (if available) will attempt to seat you together as much as possible. Saving seats is not permitted.
There will be one car with Reserved Seating on the Sunol Trains only. The car is the Golden Gate Railroad Museum SP 2979 Lounge Car. Tickets will be $40 per seat, and will be handled at a seperate ticketing website.
- Our trains depart on time. Everyone is strongly encouraged to arrive early.
- Niles - Parking is limited at the Niles Station; we encourage parking in downtown Niles at the public lots, and riding the free shuttle bus to the boarding platform.
- DO NOT BLOCK residence or business driveways. Your vehicle may be towed, at your expense, if you block a driveway.
- Sunol - Parking at the depot in Sunol is limited, so please carpool as much as possible.
- Parking in the lighted lot at the Sunol Depot is for compact and regular sized cars.
- Five ADA parking spaces are located in the middle of the main lot near the boarding area.
- Full-sized pickup trucks, six-packs, dual rear wheel trucks, campers, small motorhomes and buses may park at the Sunol Glen school one block east of the depot. Please DO NOT drive these large vehicles into the main parking lot unless you have made prior arrangements with the station agent.
- Note: All parking is close to residences. Please be considerate of our neighbors' peace and quiet when you come to visit us.
- DO NOT BLOCK residence or business driveways. Your vehicle may be towed, at your expense, if you block a driveway.
- Pick up your tickets on the day of your train. The Will Call window opens at 3:30 PM at the station from which your train is departing.
- When you purchase tickets on-line, you will be given a confirmation page. Print that page, and bring it with you on the day of your train.
- Will-Call ticket holders should allow 45-60 minutes to park, pick up your tickets, and distribute them to others in your party prior to boarding.
- Group leaders should make copies of the map and directions, which available online (see Item 2 above), and distribute them to each of the drivers in your group.
- Be sure to check your departure station before leaving home, so you will go to the correct location. We may not be able to accommodate people who have tickets for trains departing from the wrong station. Wrong depot departures may be standing room only if we can accommodate you and there will be a $10.00 exchange fee. We can not determine if wrong station departures can be accommodated until all ticketed passengers have boarded.