Los Angeles - Las Vegas Bus

[user 30354]

As recently as September 2021, Amtrak operated a bus service between Los Angeles Union Station and Las Vegas, NV. I travel to Las Vegas a lot (I have family there) and on the last trip while looking at transportation options, I discovered that the bus seemed to be eliminated and the only option was to take the Coast Starlight to Oxnard (yeah that part is nice) and then take an over 8 hour bus that goes through Bakersfield (a significant detour) on the way to Las Vegas. For the return, if you're going to Union Station, there is currently no bookable option on the Amtrak app (I just checked for tomorrow.) Alternatively, from some of the other stations in the LA area (I checked Van Nuys and Burbank Airport) you can also take a bus to Bakersfield and then connect there to the same bus you would've boarded in Oxnard if you took the Coast Starlight there. You can also take a bus from Las Vegas to Bakersfield and then a bus to these stations (but again, not Union Station.)
However, I pass through Union Station on my travels and I've noticed that the Las Vegas busses have still been showing up on the departure boards. I've thought about asking Amtrak staff about these busses but have never had the chance. Today though, I was on Surfliner #777 and when arriving into Union Station, the conductor mentioned a Las Vegas bus as one of the connections during the arrival announcements. I didn't get a chance to ask further.
There seem to be strong indications a Las Vegas bus still exists even though there seems to be no way to book a ticket, at least on the Amtrak app. I hope we get a train to Las Vegas soon (and would use one if one existed) but for now, maintaining a bus between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is a good way to help maintain at least some connectivity, as well as additional connectivity to other stops on the bus line. I used to be able to book a ticket between Van Nuys and Union Station on the Surfliner coupled with a bus connection to Las Vegas. If these busses still operate, how might they booked?

 

[cirdan]

According to this page, the bus is still running, and can also be booked without a train segment.

https://media.amtrak.com/2021/05/pa...us-service-between-los-angeles-and-las-vegas/

 

[user 30354]

I just looked up the currently bookable options as well as called Amtrak and talked to Julie (I didn't try to sit on hold to talk to an agent) and these seem to be the only bookable options, despite there being other options mentioned if you go to Union Station (or upon arrival into Los Angeles sometimes.)

 

[trainman74]

According to this page, the bus is still running, and can also be booked without a train segment.

https://media.amtrak.com/2021/05/pa...us-service-between-los-angeles-and-las-vegas/

This is a press release and schedule from May 2021, which doesn't necessarily mean the bus is still running in May 2022.

The Thruway Bus page on the Pacific Surfliner website (here) and the current PDF Pacific Surfliner timetables (here) do not mention anything about a Las Vegas bus. I strongly suspect the bus was recently discontinued, but word didn't get to the conductor who made an announcement that mentioned it.

 

[caravanman]

It is probably common knowledge, but the bus from LA to Las Vegas was a Greyhound bus service when I used it. Is it possible to book that via Greyhound, if they still run via the Amtrak station?

 

[zephyr17]

It is probably common knowledge, but the bus from LA to Las Vegas was a Greyhound bus service when I used it. Is it possible to book that via Greyhound, if they still run via the Amtrak station?

I looked on Greyhound and no. The Greyhound service leaves from east 7th St. They also list a Flixbus that leaves from N. Vignes & Caesar Chavez which is just behind Union Station. Greyhound still shows a "station" at Union Station on N. Alameda but no service there.

The Flixbus is right by Union Station, you just need to walk out the east side, not the Alameda side, but it's a separate ticket.

 

[drdumont]

I know this is a fairly old post, but I just did a little snooping, and AMTRAK will book a Chief/Starlight/Bus connection to Vegas. About a 10 hour ride.
Greyhound has an 09:00-ish bus to Vegas. Takes about 5 hours, about as long as it takes to drive, goes to the downdown Vegas terminal which AMTRAK calls LVT. Apparently Greyhound no longer boards at the Northwest corner of the station, I rode that a few years ago.

 

[WWW]

What IF ! ?
The 250 air miles from LAX to LAS could be done by semi-hi speed rail i.e. 100+ mph.
The 10 hour bus ride could be condensed to around 3 hours and have all the features
of a dining cafe car beverage parlor car business class seating and other creature comforts. With 3 to 4 trains daily should be able to make connections with the CS
Chief and Surf without wasting a lot of time.
A fairly competitive time frame with air travel.

Build it and they will come !

 

[Anderson]

What IF ! ?
The 250 air miles from LAX to LAS could be done by semi-hi speed rail i.e. 100+ mph.
The 10 hour bus ride could be condensed to around 3 hours and have all the features
of a dining cafe car beverage parlor car business class seating and other creature comforts. With 3 to 4 trains daily should be able to make connections with the CS
Chief and Surf without wasting a lot of time.
A fairly competitive time frame with air travel.

Build it and they will come !

It's almost like Brightline West is moving in this direction...

(The only absolute hangup right now is capacity from Rancho Cucamonga down to LAX.)

 

[cirdan]

It's almost like Brightline West is moving in this direction...

(The only absolute hangup right now is capacity from Rancho Cucamonga down to LAX.)

Even if this was patched by a bus bridge until they get a more permanent solution in place, this would still be way preferable to going all the way on a bus.

 

[Anderson]

Even if this was patched by a bus bridge until they get a more permanent solution in place, this would still be way preferable to going all the way on a bus.

Or patched via Metrolink (which is about a 70-minute ride, and which will be more-or-less on-site).

 

[joelkfla]

Or patched via Metrolink (which is about a 70-minute ride, and which will be more-or-less on-site).

They are counting on Metrolink to feed from LA initially. The Rancho Cucamonga station "will be co-located with existing multi-modal transportation options, including Metrolink, for seamless connectivity to Downtown Los Angeles and other destinations throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties."

They will need to increase Metrolink frequency and extend service hours to make it practical. Frequency varies between hourly and bi-hourly outside of commute times, and at times tri-hourly on weekends. They may not be able to go better than hourly, as much of the line is single-tracked.

 

[Willbridge]

They are counting on Metrolink to feed from LA initially. The Rancho Cucamonga station "will be co-located with existing multi-modal transportation options, including Metrolink, for seamless connectivity to Downtown Los Angeles and other destinations throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties."

They will need to increase Metrolink frequency and extend service hours to make it practical. Frequency varies between hourly and bi-hourly outside of commute times, and at times tri-hourly on weekends. They may not be able to go better than hourly, as much of the line is single-tracked.

It'll be interesting to see how flexible Metrolink will be with this unusual situation. When we were planning Denver RTD bus and then rail service for the new airport we took a look at a lot of other cities and IIRC only about half of them had service that recognized the difference versus a routine neighborhood route.