10/01/2026
It’s the most magical train ride of the year! 🚂✨ The Train of Lights is returning this holiday season with tickets going on sale on Saturday, October 3rd at 10AM. Tickets sell out quickly every year!
Here’s what makes this train so special and some tips for securing a ride.
⏰ Each ride is a 1.5 hour-long round trip through Niles Canyon
☕️ Cookies, hot cocoa and other refreshments are available onboard
🎅 Holiday music plays throughout the train for the duration of the ride & Santa visits every car
💺 General seating includes regular passenger coaches and open cars ($40 per person)
⭐️ First Class Cars (Dome and Parlor) are at opposite ends of the train and having a ticket to one means you have access to the other.
🚶A limited number of tickets are sold to ensure there’s enough space for attendees to get up, walk around, and explore each car. This means tickets can be harder to get, but it also means that everyone has a magical experience!
Tips on Tickets:
🚂 Choose your departure station. Trains depart Niles at 4:30PM and Sunol at 7:30PM. (Sunol is about 15 minutes from Pleasanton)
📆 Pick a few dates when you and your group can definitely attend- these tickets are non-refundable. 🔗 Head to https://www.ncry.org/ride/train-of-lights and bookmark it! That’s where you’ll buy tickets on Saturday, 10/3.
📧 While you’re there, join the Niles Canyon Railway email list for news and updates.
⏰ Set a timer for 10/3 9:50AM and don’t be late! Ticket sales begin at 10AM and they go fast.
🎟️ When buying your tickets on the 3rd, don’t try to use several different devices or tabs, this can overwhelm their website. Stick to the dates you initially chose and if those aren’t available, you might have luck with some of the earlier trains in November. These train rides tend to offer more daylight, which is perfect for taking in views before it gets dark.
💻 If you’re unable to purchase tickets, head to the Niles Canyon Railway page. If something comes up and a group isn’t able to make the date they purchased tickets for, they’ll usually offer them up to others via that page.