Dreamstar startup unveils interior designs for proposed LA-SF overnight trains

Dreamstar Lines, a California startup that has proposed a San Francisco-Los Angeles overnight rail service, yesterday unveiled renderings of the interior designs for its trains.

The company commissioned DesignWorks, a BMW Group company, to create initial concept designs for its plans to retrofit passenger train cars to offer high-end comfort and luxury, according to a company press release.

"Our goal is to create a truly memorable mode of medium-distance travel that provides an optimum blend of comfort and convenience for people who are seeking something unique and are tired of the hassles involved in traditional modes of transportation," said Dreamstar Lines CEO Joshua Dominic.

Accommodations would include a lounge for socializing; standard class, equivalent to first-class international airline flight; a bedroom that sleeps two; a suite with a queen-size bed; and a family room that sleeps six. All overnight rooms feature a private bathroom and shower.

To launch the service, the company needs to secure agreements with Union Pacific Railroad, Metrolink and Caltrain, which each control part of the 470-mile route. In March 2024, Dreamstar announced it signed a memorandum with UP that formalizes negotiations toward an agreement.

If the company succeeds in starting up the service, it would be the first night train on the route in decades. The last was the Spirit of California, which ran between 1981 and 1983 from Los Angeles to Sacramento on the same route as Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. California Gov. George Deukmejian ultimately pulled state funding for the route.