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With sights of spring starting to pop, Niles Canyon Railway is launching its 2025 season of train rides between Sunol and Fremont this weekend.
The 1.5-hour locomotive roundtrips through Niles Canyon will be offered twice a day on the second and third weekends of each month between March and October – with the first four installments offered on vintage diesel engine trains departing from the Sunol Station at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday (March 8-9).
“We are always excited about starting a new season since Niles Canyon is in bloom with its green hills, wildflowers present and even unique wildlife including recent sightings of a pair of bald eagles which appear to now call the canyon home,” Niles Canyon Railway marketing manager Christopher Hauf told the Weekly.
“While we are most famous for our Train of Lights, we hope people will come out to enjoy the scenic splendor of Niles Canyon during the day on one of our regular season rides; rides which cover the same exact route from Sunol to Niles (City of Fremont) and back through the canyon,” Hauf added.
Tickets are on sale now for the rides through May — which will all take place on diesel trains, with officials anticipating that steam trains will return to the rotation later this year once infrastructure work is completed in the Brightside Yard, according to the Pacific Locomotive Association, the nonprofit that owns and operates the Niles Canyon Railway.
In addition to work at the yard, the nonprofit and the volunteers on its Build East Team are in the middle of their project to build the railroad east of Sunol toward Pleasanton. Track has been laid over the Castlewood Bridge as the work continues alongside Pleasanton-Sunol Road. Their next Building East Day, which occurs on the first Saturday each month, is set for April 5.
Niles Canyon Railway has also released the schedule for its Beer on the Rails events: June 1, Aug. 3 and Sept. 7. The afternoon roundtrip from the Sunol Station will include lunch, live music and beer from three local breweries on board — plus non-alcohol beverages and a discounted ticket for designated drivers.
Go to ncry.org for tickets and more information.
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