The iconic rail annex Union Station first opened in May 1939. Since then, this historic station has become known as the “Last of the Great Railway Stations.”

In addition to long-distance Amtrak routes, Union Station serves two Metro subway lines (the Red and Purple Lines) and one light rail line (the Gold Line). Metrolink passenger trains also pass through this transportation hub and service five regional lines: Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange County.

Amtrak routes

For travelers visiting Los Angeles, and for weekend and day-trip jaunts to LA's surrounding attractions, Amtrak offers a convenient, scenic and cost-effective mode of transportation. Modernized and refurbished rail cars, new and improved services and newly enhanced amenities add to the fun. Taking Amtrak is also a "green" way to go, because traveling by rail contributes less per passenger mile to greenhouse gas emissions than cars and airplanes.

Visitors coming into LA from San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo can take the Pacific Surfliner trains, with multiple daily roundtrips between San Diego and LA, Santa Barbara and LA, and San Luis Obispo and LA.

The Coast Starlight service is also an exciting option for travelers from as far away as Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. With service from Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Oakland and Santa Barbara, LA-bound travelers can enjoy the stunning vistas, dense forests and Pacific Coast shorelines on their way to LA.

The Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles, crossing through Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas and Missouri.

The Sunset Limited travels between New Orleans and California along Amtrak’s southern-most route; while it used to be the only true coast-to-coast Amtrak train, with service from Orlando to Los Angeles, the route was changed following Hurricane Katrina.

For more info, call 800.USA.RAIL (872.7245) or visit www.amtrak.com .

Union Station Flyaway

What: A fast, affordable ride between Downtown and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Tickets can be purchased from the FlyAway kiosk in the Patsaouras terminal. Remote baggage check-in and boarding passes are available.

When: Every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., and each hour from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. FlyAway buses run 24 hours a day.

Where: The buses leave from Bay 9 of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza adjacent to Union Station via the East Portal.

Cost: $7 each way

For more information, visit www.lawa.org/flyaway

Union Station 800 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012