National and regional rail services are provided by Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com). METROLINK (tel: 1 800 371 5465; website: www.metrolinktrains.com) is the regional rail system for southern California and connects with most cities in the region. The Los Angeles terminal for both is Union Station, at 800 North Alameda Street on the edge of Downtown business. This vast, art deco, Spanish-style building, built in 1939, is an attraction itself. Rail services have shrunk in recent years and tend to be slower than other forms of transport, but facilities include checked baggage, passenger information, waiting rooms and a snack bar. The LAX Flyaway bus service (website: www.lawa.org/flyaway) provides fast, economical travel between the station and the airport.

Rail services: The Los Angeles terminal is at the western end of major routes across the southern Rockies and is also the southern terminus of the West Coast line to Seattle (Washington). Frequent services go to stations as far south as San Diego. Five main Amtrak trains serve Los Angeles: the Coast Starlight which begins in Seattle; the Pacific Surfliner - San Luis Obispo - Los Angeles - San Diego; Southwest Chief from Chicago; Sunset Limited from Orlando via New Orleans to Los Angeles and the Texas Eagle from Chicago via San Antonio.