Niles Canyon Railway

Niles Canyon Railway is one of the few local places where you can actually ride some classic train cars. You can start from either the Sunol station (off I-​680) or the Niles station in Fremont near State Route 238.
I started from the Sunol side and did not realize how packed and popular this place is. Was confused and had trouble parking and ended up using the overflow gravel parking lot right across the street from the tracks. Then when I went to get my ticket for the train ride, I got confused as to who was in line and who was already waiting for the first train of the day to arrive. As it turns out, it probably didn’t help that I arrived only about 15 minutes beforehand (the 10:30 AM departure), but just as a heads-​up for other folks interested, make every effort to arrive as early as possible to get a good parking spot as well as avoiding hassles with the line, not to mention getting a good seat on the train.
The trains run on most Sundays and are $ 13.00 round-​trip, which isn’t bad when you consider everything (please see their website for exact times and fares). There is either a steam or diesel train running throughout the day pulling at least 10 cars altogether. The railway runs along Highway 84 weaving through the canyon and crossing some bridges, so it was nice to see some lovely sights that I normally couldn’t do when driving. Each way is about 30 – 40 minutes, so you could probably expect to spend about 1−½ to 2 hours altogether.
No question that Niles Canyon Railway is very popular among families! Again, it was absolutely packed when took the round-​trip journey. Turns out that I could move from one car to the next (except for the red caboose, which looked like there was some private event and group taking place). I didn’t feel like sitting in any of the cars, quite honestly, so it’s a good thing there are other parts of the train and open-​air cars where you can simply stand and take in more of the gorgeous views. All the volunteer staff are accommodating and friendly.
As one who gets stressed out being around way too many people, I can’t say that I’d come back for the Holiday Lights train, much less even do another ride, but if you love trains, this is a good attraction in the East Bay. It did take almost 10 minutes to disembark at the end due to the huge crowds.

A good adventure for families. We went on Sunday for the 1:20 ride. It was a full seated train. In the coach cars there is less to see and my adult son was bored. We did not get off at Sunol but waited until most left to get better seats.
The snacks onboard are a great bargain. $ 1 for hotdogs, soda, chips, or water.
The staff are wonderful and all volunteers. I think this is best suited for younger children and older enthusiasts. For the return trip we sat in the open covered car. That was worthwhile.
If I did it again, I’d park at Sunol, take the earlier train and putter around in Niles where there are plenty of shops and restaurants. I’d take the last train back. A lovely afternoon, but not for the easily bored. I enjoyed the countryside and what information I could hear over the other riders chatter.

Nice train station, they have special events also such as steam trains, wine tasting, and more.
Parking is free and children under 3 are also free.
conductors are nice and were happy to answer all the questions about the trains.

Nice visit here on Sunday. The diesel train trolls as 11MPH from Sunol to Fremont and same way back. Enjoyed the new spring of California!

Awesome experience for those train lovers out there. The holidays are particularly cool. The experience is so cool for those who aren’t even train crazy.

Arguably, the best hidden gem on the east bay for families seeking both culture and nature packaged on a historic train.
The ride is a little over thirty minutes one way and an hour and change if you do the roundtrip without disembarking. You can start at either downtown Niles (near Fremont/​Hayward/​Union City) or Sunol (near Pleasanton/​Livermore). The railway runs along highway 84 weaving through the valley and crossing a few bridges. It’s a Sunday stroll powered by steam or diesel.
This attraction may not have the same cache as other train rides around the bay area and that’s fine by me. Sometimes having a local experience that takes you back in time minus the tourist draw is what you need.
I plan to return in the winter when the holiday lights appear. I suggest you do as well provided you don’t tell your out of towner friends!

Fun train ride during the holidays. Next time I’d like to ride during the day so I can see the Niles canyon scenery and wildlife.

2015 Niles Train of Lights was fantastic. It’s definitely something a family with kids should plan on doing in the future. The train cars are lovingly restored by volunteers who also serve as Niles Railroad spokespeople during the ride.
During the holiday season the lighted cars are a lovely sight and the ride is just the right amount of time. Not too long or too short.
If you want create great family memories, you won’t go wrong here! Kids (young and old) and trains is just a great mix!

Train of Lights: If you don’t have children, maybe don’t go.
We love trains, and the train is awesome, lovingly restored by this all-​volunteer operation. The ride… ba-​humbug!
Walking the length of the train was the best part. Meeting the volunteers was also a quality experience — they love what they do, and know a lot of rail history. Seeing out of the train, especially in the premium-​priced Dome Car, was something of a challenge. The windows are double and the in-​between of the windows has grown filthy — volunteers hope to have the funds to tackle the issue next year.
Here are things you should know:
The train is cold, the Dome and other fancy cars are not. The snacks are nothing special (Trader Joe’s cider, hot, bring a flask) but extremely inexpensive. You can bring your own but hardly need to. The ride back went much faster (25 min) than the ride there (40+ min), so if you are switching to the top of the dome car, go up early — also, don’t get caught at the opposite end of the train from your stuff! There will be only one exit and no «swimming upstream.» The bathrooms are mostly inoperable so there’s a porta potty on one of the open cars. Everyone brings young, screaming children who also make it hard to walk the length of the train n check out all the cool cars n decorations, because these kids are roaming free in the isles. («Steven, if you touch the tree, they will throw you off the train.») Also, there’s not that much to look at outside the train — if you are into lights, not trains, you might enjoy watching it go by more than riding on it.
We give the extra star over «meh» for the wonderful people and the beautiful job they did on the mid-​century cars and the huge effort put into Christmas decorations.
We suggest NCR offer some adult-​only trips!

Although the ride was free, my experience on the Niles Canyon Railway was a bad experience. We rode during a «Stroll» that was arranged by some of the local politicians during Oct. 2015.
The only place we could board was along the tracks near Vallejo Mill east of Mission Blvd. It was a 1-​car train. They did keep the number of passengers down to only a few more than the available seats in the car.
We had hoped to get off either at Palomares Road or at Brightside in order to walk back during the Stroll. However, the volunteers encouraged everyone not to get off anywhere except at the end of the line. I was afraid that we might not have been able to get back 6 miles walking before the highway traffic resumed. So we had to ride to Sunol and back.
From this car, we could at least see the small area near the train car. Since I know every curve along Niles Canyon, this was a good chance to see where we were going.
On the way back, I was moved into a seat which had some fumes from diesel or gasoline locomotion. The windows were in some areas stuck and there wasn’t much ventilation since we didn’t move very fast, and since we had to sit in a siding half way to our destination while a longer train moved through. It was a once per hour schedule.
So, when we got back, I was feeling pretty sick from the air quality. We needed to move out quickly so that another crowd could be loaded in, but we had to get out at the similar spot where we had boarded. Everyone was saying hurry up. Therefore, I made the mistake of no backing down the ladder to a big, big gap at the bottom. I fell down into the hard gravel bed at the bottom. Fortunately, the only apparent injury was from a bleeding arm all the way through my shirt where my arm broke my fall. It could have been worse. I was picked up and moved away by six folks since they wanted to get another trainload boarded in order to maintain the hourly schedule with the 1-​car train moving into the side track. I wasn’t sure if I could make it down the hill to go rest and check my injuries.
I see that they are advertising Christmas trains of lights. I realize that volunteers are operating an expensive operation. Still, I did in fact get less than my money’s worth (i.e. less than zero) from the train ride on the Niles Canyon Railway. By the way, the cut on my arm has now healed.

Terrific! Great low key adventure with the family. Get out and get some fresh air. It’s registered as a national historic place. Friendly staff (all non-​paid volunteers btw).
Snacks, drinks and hot dogs available on board for purchase, and you can also bring your own. Although we were there for a regular train ride, not the Train of Lights, the Christmas decorations are up and they’re still fun and festive even though they’re not lit up.
We boarded on the Niles end of the route. The entrance to the parking lot, ticket booth, boarding area is closer to Mission Boulevard (right at the corner of Mission Blvd and the Sullivan Underpass), NOT inside the Niles district. I’m guessing the gravel area outside the gates might be for overflow parking during more busy times. It looks like some people get confused and go into the Niles district and try to get tickets for the train ride at the Museum that’s by the grassy area, as they had a sign saying you’re in the wrong place to purchase train tickets.
Port-​o-​potties at the Niles station were surprisingly clean. No handwashing stations that I saw, so remember some hand sanitizer. There are also bathrooms on board, that were also clean.
After the ride we moved our car over to the Niles district. Plenty of free parking there, and lots of interesting stores to check out. Old timey feel, with a sprinkling of biker bar patrons ;)

great fun! we went on what had to be a 100+ degree day and still managed to have a wonderful time. definitely want to do it again! fun to walk from thru the length of the (short) train and check out the scenery. loved how we got to get out and watch the train come by and toot its horn and take lots of pictures and video. great staff and great experience

The volunteers on the train are all super. When I wasn’t feeling well from the sun — 3+ hours of direct rays !!! — they really helped me out. They all do their jobs with enthusiasm and joy. Many thanks to them all.

Now you don’t have to plan a Sunday at Disneyland, you can just take the kids here that day instead. Ride the Antique train, classic train, beat-​up train, Thunder Road train — whatever you want to call it, but it is indeed a classic multiple caboose train that rides through the mountain valley. Town of Niles to Sunol and back and it’s a helluva breezy ride, so many pretty sights whether it’s hot or cold, but it’s just right temperature in coach. You’ll see me on a running train on another Sunday escapade with the Fam-​Bam (I decided to use that term, thanks to Unilocaler Reya). Bring your own water. But if you don’t, don’t worry, they got drinks and food. Currently, the train departs at 11:20 am and 1:20 pm on Sundays. #elevation

We went on the holiday train last year (yes, a long overdue review) with a bunch of friends and our kids had a blast. The train is old-​school, but there is plenty of space. We were told that they do not sell every seat, so there is plenty of space. We also brought our own hot chocolate and snacks for the kids. We sat in an enclosed car, but the car right next to us was an open car. I suggest being close to open cars so you can easily access viewing some Holiday lights outside. Each car also seemed to be decorated slightly differently with festive lights and other décor, and it really made for a nice Christmas train ride.
The way you get on the train is a bit odd. Not all train cars are open for you to load directly. Instead you get on at a few points, and you start walking back, and back, and back, until you find a suitable spot for you and your group.
We showed up about 15 – 20 minutes before the train departed, and parking was about scarce. We had to park at a side street and walk in, so be prepared for that if you have little ones.
This was a fun ride with kids, and if your child loves trains, it will be a great outing with his or her buddies.

We read about Nile Canyon Railway in Sunset magazine and decided to have a fun adventure with our young boys on Father’s Day. We barely made it in time (make sure to get there early) but had a great experience. The staff was very friendly and gave us lots of insight into trains.
We had some great weather and our sons enjoyed their first ride on a train. I’d highly recommend this for anyone that has children.

To describe this place in one word: AWESOME! I’m a rail fan (train enthusiast) and I live in the South Bay. I can usually be found trackside at the niles canyon railway several times a year. Whether you’re a train nut like me or just looking for something fun to do this is the place. While on board the train going thru the canyon you have to remind yourself that you’re still in the Bay Area. The scenery along with the sights and sounds of vintage railroad equipment will take you back in time. This place is also great for families!!! And very affordably priced!

This was a real treat for the kids as it’s a local attraction that’s been around for 65 years and a great way to get into the holiday spirit. We went after Christmas and didn’t expect such a large turn out. Tickets go fast so best to reserve early before the holiday season begins. If you arrive late like we did no worries as they assured us they always sell less tickets than seats to ensure everyone will have a seat. The roundtrip ride was about an hour and forty five minutes long. For the most part not much to see outside as it’s dark. Highlights are seeing the whole train lit up on curves, the hot chocolate and snacks, the decorations and listening to the holiday music. Overall a cool experience!

Continues to be my favorite family outing for the holidays!

This review is for the Train of Lights (departure from Niles Fremont) — special event during November/​December when the railway decks their train in lovely Christmas lights! In short, it’s a great event/​experience to check out at least once. Bring your family and friends.
****Tickets****
–Generally speaking, they have 2 trains that run per day (you should verify their daily schedule) — one that departs Niles Fremont at 4:30pm and another that departs Sunol at 7:30pm. Both trains will arrive at the opposite train station, stop for 5 to 10 minutes (you’re not allowed off the train), and then begin the return journey.
–We purchased the 4:30pm Niles Fremont ticket for a Wed for a few reasons. First, a 4:30pm ride allows you to see views both with daylight and darkness. The daylight is great in that you can see the view of the hills/​scenery and the return journey in the dark allows you to admire the Christmas lights. Second, a Wed ticket ($ 17) was cheaper compared to other days. I think we saved about 7 or 8 bucks per ticket — for a large family, those savings can add up.
–If you really want to go, definitely buy your tickets in advance — this year, they sold out by late November/​early December. You also don’t want last pickings on the dates/​time slots, so buy early. I believe they go on sale sometime in September through Eventbrite — you can sign up on a mailing list to be notified of details.
–If tickets are sold out, Craigslist is your friend.
****Preparing for the ride****
–Bring snacks/​food! We brought snacks and a few bottles of wine. This worked out wonderful; several people walking by us commented that they should have done the same thing! The train also has 1 or 2 snack bars for you to purchase items. I didn’t pay attention to what they had — it didn’t seem to be anything fancy, but it’s great to have the option to buy snacks.
–Some of the trains are outdoor cars. Depending on the night, it can be a little chilly. I’d definitely recommend bringing a jacket or a blanket to keep cozy if you decide on outdoor seating. Heck, if you want to get fancy, bring a thermos of hot cocoa or tea to enjoy.
****Getting there****
–The entrance to the parking area is just off of Mission Blvd. You’ll notice some signs pointing you into the right direction. There may or may not also be a parking attendee guiding you in.
–While the lot wasn’t huge, there was a little bit of confusion on where to actually park. We followed directions and drove further into the lot, only to be asked to turn back around as the remaining parking was reserved for certain cars or the handicapped.
–The parking lot is rather narrow and unpaved, so many cars had to do 3 point turns and back into their parking spots. Not a huge deal, but just a heads up for the severely parking challenged.
–You’ll likely be parked directly in front of the train, so it’s easy to figure out where you need to go. Once parked, just head towards the train and you’ll see a small ticketing booth. Give them your name or confirmation email and they’ll give you physical tickets for boarding.
–There’s at least one porta-​potty near the ticketing booth. No worries if you don’t make it — there are regular restrooms on the train as well as a few additional porta-​potties.
–The train departed about 5 or 10 minutes after the scheduled time.
****The train****
–Arrive early if you want your picking of seats! We got there 30 minutes early; while a good number of people had already boarded, we still had plenty of seats to pick from.
–There are such a variety of cars and seating arrangements — closed trains with single cloth seats, closed trains with tables/​chairs, open trains with group of chairs, open trains with benches, etc. I recommend walking the train till you find a spot you like. Have one person stake the claim, while someone else walks the rest of the train to see if they find something better. We took a table so we could eat/​drink easily — woot.
–The outside seats are fun with a breath of fresh air. The inside seats definitely felt a bit more closed, especially with some having windows that weren’t crystal clear so the view could be foggy. We chose the inside seat, as we wanted a table to eat/​drink. It worked out great as we could walk to the neighboring car for outdoor views.
–The decorations were neat — had a homely feel to it. Nothing crazy fancy and over the top, but just enough so you can see the train crew definitely put some effort into getting the trains decorated. Lights, green garland overhangs, etc.
–The crowd was very mixed. Kids, adults, and many seniors. It’s really a great event to take the whole family to. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, except for an old lady dressed in holiday attire who was being very rude as she was trying to get through the aisle. WTF.
–Holiday music was playing in the background. Yes, Santa and Mrs. Santa were walking from car to car.

My family just got home from the Train of Lights. It was our first time and I’m really glad that we went.
Décor: the trains were decorated wonderfully; you could tell there was some considers me time and effort out forth to make this experience meaningful and allow folks to get into the holiday season.
Staff: very friendly staff willing to answer questions, and even help you up and down from the train door entrance. Cool.
Fellow train riders: you had anyone and everyone on that train. There were people of all ages, families, old friends, new friends, all happy and in the holiday spirit.
Train: the train was probably 30 cars long… so neat to walk through the cars and see the different set ups and decorations.
I would recommend you check this out if you can. This has been sold out for a while now, but we were lucky enough to find some tickets on Craigslist. $ 25 face value.

Spent a Sunday with my little man here riding the train from Niles to Sunol. There are several departure and pick up times that allows you to hop on and off and enjoy the cafes nearby the train station. Would love to have done this if we had the time. When we went it was beautiful and warm outside so we sat in the open coach section. There are snacks and drinks offered on board their snack bar. The conductors greet you on board to punch your ticket. What a lovely old time feel. There are free vintage train magazines at the station. The conductors are great and will gladly take a photo with your little ones. Will consider having a birthday party in the caboose!

The bottom line: Ok, so it’s not exactly the Orient Express, but it’s completely run by volunteers and tickets are reasonably priced. If you’re a little kid (or have one), or a train fan, I don’t need to sell you on this. Even if you’re neither, it’s still a pleasant excursion.
If you want more details:
I’ve never been especially interested in trains, but I do love history, and when riding the Niles Canyon Railway for the first time last Sunday I enjoyed envisioning how riders in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries must have dressed up for the ride… when this line first opened in 1866, it must have been absolutely thrilling. Imagine the journey from the East Coast to San Francisco being reduced from four months (or longer) to less than one week! Imagine riding a train for the first time, ever – or just seeing one for the first time.
While I wouldn’t describe this ride as thrilling now unless you’re a seven-​year-​old boy or a train fanatic, it’s a very pleasant way to pass a couple of hours. The journey is actually only about 1 hr and 20 minutes round-​trip from Niles to Sunol and back, including a 15-​minute stopover, but you’ll need to arrive fairly early to grab a seat.
We got there at 12:05 for the 12:20 journey from Niles and were lucky to get seats easily. However, what was unfair to some other riders (many of whom I’m sure had gotten there before we did) is that there is no first-​come, first-​served method for boarding the train. We ended up boarding in front of many other people not because we cut in line but simply because we happened to be standing where one of the railroad volunteers asked us to begin boarding. I didn’t hear anyone complaining, but if I’d been there for an hour and people who showed up only 15 minutes before departure got to board before me, I would not have been happy. (Still, it did seem that most people were able to get seats on what one volunteer said was a «very full» day.)
Frankly, I was a little hesitant to buy tickets after reading another recent review which mentioned an abundance of rude white-​trash types, but today I saw only an ethnically diverse crowd of all ages – a lot of families with young kids but also many elderly people, teens, and some younger couples without kids too. No one looked trashy or appeared to be acting rudely. I can’t comment on whether the volunteer ticket sellers at the Niles station were jerks or not, because my husband bought the tickets. (Luckily, we live nearby, so he was able to go early. I don’t know how bad it is if you have to stand in a longer line to get tickets, but it sounds like it could be a hassle.)
I also agree with a reviewer that it’s VERY difficult to find the parking lot and ticketing place if you aren’t already familiar with the area. I’m amazed considering how long this attraction has been operating, and how popular it is. As I said, we live nearby, and we still weren’t entirely sure where it was until we read about having to drive past the «crack houses» as another reviewer put it. (Take it from a local, though – they’re probably meth houses instead.) If you have GPS, definitely input the address to find this place.
We rode on the steam train, pulled by a 1927 engine, and we sat in a 1923 Pullman car. It had definitely seen better days and was pretty shabby, but the kids didn’t care. (Considering that the NCRY is a non-​profit staffed totally by volunteers, I can imagine they don’t have much to spend on restoration projects.) The volunteers we spoke with were very friendly and knowledgable. There’s a snack bar on board, which was too crowded for us to bother with, but my husband bought a few snacks at the Sunol depot.
By the way, if you’re not interested in wandering Sunol, I recommend just staying on the train during the short stopover, in case you might not find a seat again on a later return ride.

uuhhh, how can ANYONE call this a FIVE STAR experience!!! please! are you dumb?! first of all, poor directional signage. Very small sign with an arrow off Mission Road. ONE little A-​frame sandwich board sign pointing to «parking». You drive past a number of bombed out burned up char-​broiled crack houses before getting to the parking. its eerie and creepy. You walk up to the makeshift ticket booth, run by a couple of old smug cranky stodgers who seem like they think this is the greatest attraction around and can treat you rudely. You fight past throngs of 15-​member WT families straight out of the movie Idiocracy. Its just a loser-​fest all the way around. DO NOT WASTE TIME OR MONEY!!!

The Niles Canyon Railway (NCR) is run by the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) in order to preserve, educate and operate the existing rail line between the Niles District of Fremont and Sunol (and eventual expansion to Pleasanton!) This is essentially the same idea as the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in Los Gatos but on a much, much bigger scale. The NCR is run entirely on PCR volunteers (God bless ‘em!) and financed strictly by donations and ticket holders. I had been meaning to come down and check it out for a while because my 3-​year-​old is a huge train enthusiast. My son also loves Christmas lights and after finding out about the Holiday Train the NCR runs it seemed like the perfect time to come check it out. I had high expectations going into this and the NCR did not disappoint; in fact I feel like they exceeded them. Here are some highlights/​tips to make your experience on the Holiday Train more enjoyable:
–Arrive at least 15 – 20 minutes early so you don’t have to deal with all the last-second-Lucy’s that you know will arrive within the last 5-​minutes and plus you really should stop being such a slacker. Make your mother proud, for once.
–When you first arrive at the Niles Station I’d highly recommend backing into your parking spot; it will make leaving at the end that much simpler.
–The entire ride lasts about an hour and a half, but feels much shorter than that.
–Dress warmly and bring some blankets because the best views are from the open cabins and, depending on the weather, it can go from cold to freezing rather quickly.
–Bring festive snacks and drinks with you to munch on as you enjoy the ride; the NCR actually encourage you to bring your own. If you’re feeling too lazy (like I did) then no worries. They have two snack cars that sell all kinds of fun stuff (e.g., Hot Chocolate, Hot Cider, Homemade Cookies, Chili, etc.) for a very reasonable price (all snacks/​drinks are $ 1) and the money goes towards a good cause. So, crack open that wallet and stop being so cheap.
–Bring some friends with kids and grab Grandma and Grandpa. This is the kind of thing that’s great for people of all ages and you can make some great old-​timey memories.
–Definitely walk up and down the entire length of the train as it’s moving so that you can enjoy how each cabin is decorated and plus it’s just kinda fun trying to make your way through and people watching. Yeah, the walkways are kinda narrow and you will have to deal with some people that have no manners but if a 6’6″ 240-​lb Ogre can do it than you can too!
–Lastly make sure you take some time to sit together with your family and look at the lights; listen to the sounds of the train, the holiday music piping in and the sounds of excitement from the kids; and enjoy the wonderfulness of being together. I’ve gotta admit the whole thing has a romantic nostalgia to it, and as I sat there huddled around my wife and son even this old stone-​hearted, cynical man got a wee bit misty-​eyed.
The PLA and its volunteers do a wonderful job running the NCR Holiday Train and I would highly recommend it to everyone to do during the Holiday Season. It’s so simple but really helps remind us what the Holidays are truly about: family.

So I’m not obsessed with trains but I still enjoyed this event. You can ride the train from Niles to Sunol, approx 8 miles and it takes 40 minutes one way. It’s $ 12 round trip and you can get off at the end and explore a bit before taking the next train back. We only rode it from Niles to Sunol and took our bikes with us. They were super nice about about accommodating the bikes (extra star for that!).
They even have a snack car with chips and soda — all $ 1 each.
The scenery is nice though not breathtaking — I mean you are just chugging along a few miles in the East Bay, it’s not like you’re being displaced to the Swiss Alps. But it’s fun to ride an old time train. I can imagine when the steam trains arrive in the summer it must really be like stepping back in time. I wish the train ran a little faster. It would be cool to see the potential of those old time trains. But that probably isn’t too safe with the open cabs.