Our Honest Review of Niles Train of Lights in California

Is Niles Train of Lights worth it? Our honest review shares what to expect, tips, highlights and festive must-knows.

Just before Christmas, we took a little trip here in California aboard a Christmas train. Along the way, we enjoyed the fading light of the evening, thousands of Christmas lights, and the wonderfully festive atmosphere onboard.

The Christmas train, Niles Train of Lights, is a special attraction in our hometown that draws visitors from near and far. We’ve ridden this train before and can happily recommend it, along with sharing a few tips for first-time visitors.

Christmas trains like this can be found in several places here in California and across the United States, and they operate with slightly different concepts. This particular train is historic, with its cars pulled by a steam locomotive. It mainly runs back and fort rather than serving as transportation from one place to another. The train is also especially beautifully decorated.

The Niles Train of Lights departs from the city of Fremont and travels through Niles Canyon to the neighboring town of Sunol. Alternatively, you can also hop on the train in Sunol. Both towns are located on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay.

Niles Canyon Railway

The Christmas train is operated by the local Niles Canyon Railway, which runs entirely on volunteer power. The Niles Canyon Railway line is one of the California’s earliest railroads that was originally built between 1863 and 1869. These tracks were once part of the First Transcontinental Railroad, also known as thePacific Railroad.

The First Transcontinental Railroad was the United States’ first railway to cross the entire country. Construction began in 1863, simultaneously from both east and west, and the two teams eventually met in Promontory, Utah. Today that historic meeting point is home to Golden Spike National Historical Park, which we visited ourselves a few years ago.

Once the main transcontinental railway was completed – running from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California – it was extended all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area. The route from San Jose to Sacramento was built through Niles Canyon, giving this stretch of railroad its historic significance.

Steam locomotives ran through Niles Canyon for nearly 80 years before diesel engines replaced them in the 1950s. Eventually, the line was completely shut down in 1984.

IN 1987, however, the old tracks were restored, and historic train rides, powered by both diesel and steam locomotives, began once again. In addition to Train of Lights, Niles Canyon Railway also offers beer and wine train experiences, as well as special train rides for school groups.

Niles Train of Lights

The Niles Train of Lights, the Christmas train operated by Niles Canyon Railway, has been running for over a decade, bringing holiday cheer to the area aboard a train glowing with thousands of Christmas lights.

The train typically consist of 16 vintage railcars, all decorated inside and out by dedicated volunteers. Decorating begins already in early fall, as there are over 300 meters of Christmas lights used in total.

The festive touches continue inside the cars as well. Alongside the lights, you’ll find wreaths, wrapped gifts, Christmas toys, and even Christmas trees, all adding to the cozy holiday atmosphere.

In addition to the standars railcars, the train includes a double-decker first-class dome car, a first-class parlor car, and caboose available for group bookings. First-class cars come with reserved seating and their own service area, and they are not accessible from the rest of the train.

We boarded the train in Fremont, where it departed just before the dusk at 4:30 PM. The train slowly traveled through Niles Canyon to the neighboring town of Sunol, before making its way back. On the outbound journey, we enjoyed the canyon in daylight, and by the return trip, darkness had fully set in.

Seeing the train lit up against the dark canyon was truly magical. Along the way, you can also spot a couple of railcars parked in the yard, one of the home to Santa’s reindeer peeking out.

On board the train, you can buy small snacks like hot dogs, cookies, and chips, as well as a variety of drinks ranging from hot cocoa to warm cider. In one of the cars, souvenirs and raffle tickets are also sold, with the proceeds helping to cover the railway’s operating costs.

During the journey, passengers hear a bit about the train’s history and the Christmas decorations, and toward the end of the ride, classic Christmas carols begin to play throughout the train.

For younger children especially, the highlight of the trip is meeting Santa Claus. Santa walks through the train from car to car, chatting with passengers and posing for photos along the way.

The Christmas train usually runs from Thanksgiving week through the end of December. The actual ride lasts about 1.5 hours, but it’s worth allowing extra time for boarding and disembarking. After the ride from Fremont to Sunol, the train will do another trip starting from Sunol.

I our opinion, the entire experience was exceptionally well organized. Even though the route was sold out, the train never felt overcrowded, and everything ran smoothly from start to finish. From parking to boarding every detail was clearly well thought out.

In over all, we really loved Niles Train of Lights, and it’s definitely worth experiencing. Most likely, it is one of the best Christmas trains in California.

Our tips for the Christmas Train

Having experienced several train rides, I’d say the most important tip is to arrive as soon as the ticket booth opens. Online tickets must be exchanged on-site for physical tickets, which are then used to board the train. The train doors open at the same time as the ticket booth, and those who board first get to choose the best seats in their preferred car.

There are no assigned seats on regular cars of the Christmas train, so you’re free to sit wherever you like. If you’re traveling with a larger group, arriving early makes it much easier to find seats together.

Each train car is different, so it’s worth walking from one end of the train to the other during the ride. We chose seats in a warm indoor car but wandered out to be open-air cars occasionally to enjoy the scenery. Be sure to bring a warm jacket, as it gets quite chilly in the open cars after sunset.

On our first train, we didn’t realize you’re allowed to bring your own snacks on board. This time, we packes some mulled wine, hot cocoa, croissants and muffins. It was lovely to sit back with a warm mug in hand and enjoy the views.

Tickets for the Christmas train go on sale on the Niles Canyon Railway website in October, and they typically sell out within the first few hours. If you’re hoping to get tickets, be ready and online the moment sales open.

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San Francisco Bay Area offer plenty of festive things to do during the holiday season. In addition to special events, many people enjoy driving around to admire Bay Area’s best Christmas lights and decorations in different neighbourhoods. European style Christmas markets are also becoming more common. We’ve visited a German-style Christmas market for example.

Christmas lights usually stay up through the New Year, and once those celebrations wind down, the city mover straight into Chinese New Year festivities in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It’s the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia, and its spectacular parade has been named one of the top ten parades in the world.

What kind of Christmas events have you been to?