Tickets will sell fast for this special holiday tradition. Tickets for the Niles Canyon Train of Lights go on sale at 10 am on Saturday, October 25, 2025, and they will SELL OUT. Get on their mailing list now & set a calendar reminder.
This Christmas train experience was originally shared with us by Lisa Truong who runs the non-profit Help A Mother Out in Oakland.
Even if you don’t currently reside with a pint-sized train enthusiast, you will want to check out this wonderful holiday adventure right here in the East Bay. This time of year Niles Canyon Railway operates its popular Holiday Train of Lights. This is a wonderful annual to-do and is worth the mini-road trip and splurge. We’re looking forward to riding on a restored locomotive, decked out with holiday decorations and lights (they started decorating already!), sipping hot cocoa, and saying hi to Santa as he makes the rounds through the train cars. With all that is going on nowadays, I’d say we all deserve extra holiday cheer this year.
NCRY is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization of Bay Area die-hard train buffs, who work together to restore historic locomotives and a living feel for a bygone era. History buffs will appreciate the role of railways in this region which date back to the start of the transcontinental railroad.
Ticket information
Round-trip tickets (ages 3 and older), departing from either the small town of Sunol or Niles (Fremont) will be available online for $40 each. In 2024, first class, dome, and parlor cars were ticketed at $70. Caboose reservation was a flat fee of $850 (can seat 24-28 people of adult size) – FYI, riding in the caboose means you can’t go to walk the length of the train or visit the snack bar during the ride.
Depending on how crowded your train is, the under-3 set may need to sit on your lap. In years past, tickets have sold out within a few days. Ticket proceeds benefit NCRY, helping them maintain their collection of steam and diesel locomotives.
What to bring
- Warm layers. It gets cold and you may want to opt for an outdoor car.
- Snacks. It’s fun to pack a thermos of hot cocoa/mulled cider and a batch of cookies. If you forget, NCR volunteers operate a reasonably priced snack bar on the train with proceeds going back to the nonprofit. Snacks and drinks are $1 each (cash).
- Holiday cheer!
When to go on the Niles Canyon Train of Lights
Trains typically depart from Niles at 4:30 pm and Sunol at 7:30 pm throughout the holiday season. Tickets are available on most days between November 21 through December 30.
Location: For Fremont departures, do NOT go to the downtown Niles train depot; point your GPS to 37029 Mission Blvd., Fremont. Parking is available on site.
Related: Check out the Polar Express Train in Sacramento.
[Photo credit via Creative Commons: Moyerphotos; Heather Flett]
4 thoughts on “On Sale Oct. 25: East Bay Christmas Train: Niles Canyon Train of Lights”
Thank you for putting our information online, but the Niles Canyon Railway does not operate the “Polar Express” we operate the Train of Lights. You also do not mention the Sunol Depot address for our 7:30 ride.
Thank you for pointing out these errors, I’ll make a note to correct them. – Heather
just a note that ncry site says “Tickets for 2025 are now planned to go on sale
Saturday October 25, 2025
at 10AM.”
oh wow, I will check ASAP, thanks!