2026 answer
Can you take a train from LA to Las Vegas?
Not by train, not yet. Here is what you can ride today, what Brightline West plans, and where its timeline stands, from operator pages and news reports.
Short answer: no. No passenger train runs between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in 2026. The closest thing is the Amtrak connecting bus from Los Angeles Union Station, about 5 hours with stops in San Bernardino, Victorville and Barstow. Brightline West, a planned high-speed train from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas, targets late 2029 and is waiting on financing. VegasByTrain is independent and not affiliated with Amtrak, Pacific Surfliner or Brightline West.
Your rail-related options, compared
| Option | Status (Nov 2026) | Route | Trip time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amtrak connecting bus | Running: to Las Vegas Thu–Sun, to LA Fri–Mon, two departures each way | LA Union Station, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow, Las Vegas (South Strip Transfer Center or Downtown) | About 5 hours | Pacific Surfliner |
| Brightline West | Not open. Target late 2029; waiting on a $6B federal loan | Las Vegas, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Rancho Cucamonga (Metrolink to LA) | About 2 hours Las Vegas–Rancho Cucamonga, per the company | Review-Journal, Brightline West |
| Amtrak Desert Wind | Ended May 1997 | Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City | n/a | Los Angeles Times |
The Amtrak bus from Los Angeles Union Station
Amtrak doesn’t run trains to Las Vegas, but it does sell a bus. Pacific Surfliner, the Amtrak route along the Southern California coast, describes Amtrak bus service from Los Angeles Union Station to Las Vegas with stops in San Bernardino, Victorville and Barstow. Buses head to Las Vegas Thursday through Sunday and return Friday through Monday, with two departures in each direction on those days. The trip takes about five hours. Pacific Surfliner lists the bus numbers as 5763, 5579, 5580 and 5796.
You don’t need a train ticket to ride. Pacific Surfliner says the bus can be booked through Amtrak on its own, and it also connects with selected Pacific Surfliner trains at Union Station, so you can start in San Diego, Orange County or Santa Barbara and change in Los Angeles. In Las Vegas the bus stops at the South Strip Transfer Center and in Downtown Las Vegas.
Check your date before you plan around a train connection. Pacific Surfliner’s travel advisories say there will be no Pacific Surfliner trains anywhere on the corridor on Nov 7–8, 2026 because of track closures. Connection buses keep running those days, but the scheduled train connections won’t be there.
What riders say
The bus has come and gone over the years, so it confuses people. In a September 2026 r/Amtrak thread, the original poster couldn’t find an LA–Las Vegas Amtrak bus. One commenter recalled a Union Station to downtown Las Vegas bus that stopped around the pandemic, and another pointed out that LA–Vegas is already served by many bus companies and airlines. Pacific Surfliner’s page, checked Nov 1, 2026, lists the route again, so search Amtrak for your exact date.
On the ride itself, people in a December 2024 r/Amtrak thread said the buses had restrooms and were clean. One described it as a smaller shuttle-style bus in good condition. Pacific Surfliner’s 2021 launch release listed reclining seats, restrooms and free Wi-Fi.
Brightline West: the train that’s coming
Brightline West plans a 218-mile, all-electric line between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, mostly along Interstate 15, with stations in Apple Valley and Hesperia. It says trains will reach up to 200 mph and take about 2 hours. In Rancho Cucamonga, riders would change to Metrolink for downtown Los Angeles, so it won’t be a one-seat ride from LA.
The timeline has slipped. After the $3 billion federal grant in December 2023, there was hope of opening for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Oct 26, 2026 that this is no longer possible and that late 2029 is the earliest the project could be finished. The holdup is a $6 billion federal RRIF loan. Brightline West told FOX5 on Oct 27, 2026 that it is still working through federal financing and can deliver the line in about four years once financing is final. For the full story, see our Brightline West explainer and dated updates.
Brightline West hasn’t published fares. Questions like “how much is the bullet train from LA to Vegas” don’t have an answer yet, and we won’t guess.
Why there’s no train today
The City of Las Vegas dates its founding to a 1905 railroad land auction. Amtrak’s Desert Wind, between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City by way of Las Vegas, ended in May 1997, according to the Los Angeles Times. No passenger train has served Las Vegas since. Read the longer version in our Las Vegas rail history.