Freight rail fueled a new luxury overnight train startup

Can a passenger rail startup bring back the glamour of luxury overnight trains connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco that haven’t been seen since the 1940s? Co-founders Joshua Dominic and Thomas Eastmond think so — and there’s a connection to freight rail at the heart of their proposal. Dreamstar is a private venture reimagining medium-length passenger service in a setting that harks back to the heyday of first-class trains with all-bedroom accommodations, onboard gourmet dining and five-star hotel hospitality. “Dreamstar started from a deeply personal frustration with the state of American travel,” said Dominic, in an interview. “After experiencing modern rail across Europe and Asia in my 20s, I kept asking, ‘Why don’t we have this in the U.S.?’ Years later, after hundreds of business and leisure trips that forced a choice between wasting precious daytime or sacrificing sleep, the idea crystallized: Build a better alternative. Dreamstar is our answer — a rail service that brings ... Read full article.