Civic Infrastructure & Mobility Audit · Regional Transit Investigation

From the Media Capital to Northern California & Beyond: The Burbank Transit Hubs, Rail Networks & Intercity Corridors Guide

Burbank holds a unique geographic and infrastructural position in Southern California: it is the only municipality in the region with two on-airport passenger rail stations, a downtown intermodal Metrolink/Amtrak terminal, direct Amtrak Thruway connections to the Central Valley and Bay Area, and a commercial airport where more than 40% of daily departures head north. This comprehensive investigation maps every passenger rail line, intercity bus route, flight corridor, and future high-speed rail connection linking Burbank to Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and national transit networks.

Data as of Oct 31, 2026 from Burbank Bus & Transit Ridership Dataset (285 Stops) , BurbankBus GTFS Stops & Routes , Metrolink Commuter Rail Schedules (VCL & AVL) , Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & San Joaquins Thruway Network and California High-Speed Rail Authority (Burbank to LA Section) . Recomputed from official source records; see methodology.

Interactive Map: Burbank Passenger Rail Hubs, Subway Portal & Transit Corridors

Hover over any hub, train station, or transit point below to inspect line connections, frequencies, NorCal transfers, and ridership volume. Full-screen map available at /maps/transit-corridors/.

1. The Tri-Station Backbone: Burbank’s Passenger Rail Hubs

Unlike most Southern California cities that share a single peripheral commuter platform, Burbank is bisected by two major heavy-rail rights-of-way: the Union Pacific / Metrolink Valley Subdivision and the Metrolink Ventura Subdivision. These corridors converge to give the city three major passenger rail hubs:

2. Heading to Northern California by Ground: The Complete Multi-Option Transit Matrix

For travelers seeking to reach the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley, or the Pacific Northwest without driving or flying, Burbank offers four distinct ground transportation pathways:

Route A: The San Joaquin Valley Train Corridor (Amtrak Thruway Bus 1c → San Joaquins Rail)

The most reliable, high-frequency overland transit route between Burbank and Northern California is the Amtrak San Joaquins network:

• Step 1 (The Grapevine Bypass): Board the dedicated Amtrak Thruway Bus (Route 1c) at either Burbank Airport-South or Downtown Burbank. The motorcoach travels north via the I-5 Grapevine directly into the Bakersfield Amtrak Station in approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Step 2 (The Rail Spine): At Bakersfield, passengers walk across the sheltered platform directly onto waiting Amtrak San Joaquins trains (no luggage re-checking required; baggage transfers automatically).
• Step 3 (Branching to the Bay Area or Sacramento):
  • Oakland / Bay Area Branch: Stops at Wasco, Corcoran, Hanford, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Turlock-Denair, Modesto, Stockton San Joaquin Street, Antioch-Pittsburg, Martinez, Richmond (direct cross-platform transfer to BART for Downtown SF/Oakland), Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland Jack London Square. At Emeryville, dedicated Amtrak Thruway buses shuttle passengers directly into the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco.
  • Sacramento Branch: Connects through Stockton Midtown, Lodi, and terminates at Sacramento Valley Station, connecting directly with the Capitol Corridor and downtown state government offices.
• Schedule & Cost: Up to 5 daily connecting departures; one-way fares typically range between $45 and $65; total travel time to San Francisco / Sacramento is 7.5 to 8.5 hours with onboard Wi-Fi, power outlets, and cafe cars.

Route B: The Coastal Rail Journey (Pacific Surfliner → Coast Starlight)

For long-distance scenic travel along the California coastline and north to Oregon and Washington:

• Pacific Surfliner North: Board directly at Downtown Burbank or Burbank Airport-South for direct coastal rail service through Simi Valley, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
• The Coast Starlight (Train 14 North / Train 11 South): While the long-distance Coast Starlight (Los Angeles to Seattle) passes through Burbank along the Valley Subdivision, it does not stop at Burbank platforms. Passengers can board at Van Nuys Station (10 minutes west via Metrolink or rideshare) or at Los Angeles Union Station (15 minutes south via Metrolink).
• Coast Starlight Route: Santa Barbara → San Luis Obispo → Paso Robles → Salinas (shuttle to Monterey) → San Jose Diridon → Oakland Jack London Square → Emeryville → Sacramento → Redding → Klamath Falls, OR → Eugene, OR → Portland Union Station → Seattle King Street Station.
• Features: Full bi-level Superliner cars, Sightseer Lounge with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, traditional dining car, and private roomettes/bedrooms.

Route C: Regional Intercity Express Buses (FlixBus, Greyhound & Megabus)

For travelers prioritizing budget and direct point-to-point road transit:

• FlixBus: Operates intercity service with direct boarding points at the North Hollywood Metro Station (connected directly from Burbank via the BurbankBus Orange Line and Metro Line 501) and adjacent Burbank locations. Daily direct express coaches run up the I-5 corridor to Bakersfield, Fresno, San Jose (Diridon Station), San Francisco (5th & Townsend / Daly City), and Oakland in 6.5 to 8 hours. Fares start as low as $24.99.
• Greyhound: Offers multiple daily regional departures north through the Central Valley and along the Pacific Coast Highway toward Sacramento, the Bay Area, and the Pacific Northwest.
• Megabus: Provides scheduled intercity coach service connecting the Greater Los Angeles / San Fernando Valley basin with San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento.

3. The Air Bridge: Hollywood Burbank Airport’s High-Frequency NorCal Shuttles

For business and media travelers requiring same-day travel, Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) functions as Southern California’s premier regional aviation bridge to Northern California:

4. The Future Horizon: California High-Speed Rail’s Multimodal Burbank Hub

The long-term transformation of Burbank’s connectivity to Northern California centers on the California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) Phase 1 system:

• Certified Project Section: In January 2022, the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors unanimously certified the Final Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Burbank to Los Angeles Project Section (14 miles).
• Underground Burbank Airport Station: The project will construct an underground, four-track high-speed rail station immediately adjacent to Hollywood Burbank Airport’s replacement passenger terminal ("Elevate BUR", currently under construction and scheduled to open in late 2026).
• Transformative Speed & Capacity: Electrified 220-mph trainsets will connect the Burbank Airport Station to San Francisco’s Salesforce Transit Center in 2 hours and 40 minutes—traveling north through the Palmdale desert gateway, across the Tehachapi Mountains to Bakersfield, up through the Central Valley, and through the Pacheco Pass into San Jose and the Peninsula.
• Regional Integration: The station will seamlessly link high-speed rail passengers directly with regional Metrolink commuter trains, the replacement airport terminal, BurbankBus local transit, and regional bus coaches on a single multimodal campus.

5. Local Feeder Network: How Burbank Transit Moves Riders to the Hubs

Reaching these regional and long-distance departure points from within Burbank is facilitated by two coordinated municipal transit systems:

• BurbankBus:
  • Pink Route: Connects Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station directly to the Media District (Disney, Warner Bros., The Burbank Studios, and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center).
  • Orange Route: Bridges the North Hollywood B Line (Red Line subway) / G Line (Orange Line BRT) Station directly to Hollywood Burbank Airport and surrounding employment corridors.
• Metro Bus System (285 Local Stops):
  • Line 501 (NoHo–Pasadena Express): High-speed regional bus connection along the SR-134 corridor linking Burbank passengers to the A Line (Gold Line light rail) in Pasadena and the B Line (subway) in North Hollywood.
  • Lines 92, 94, 96, 154, 155, 164, 165 & 294: Dense neighborhood feeder grid serving Downtown Burbank Station, Olive Ave, Magnolia Blvd, and Hollywood Way (cataloged in our 285-stop transit ridership dataset).

6. The Western Gateway: The North Hollywood B Line Subway, Chandler Bikeway & NoHo–Pasadena BRT

While Burbank does not have an underground heavy-rail subway station within its municipal borders, the North Hollywood (NoHo) Station (5317 Lankershim Blvd) sits immediately on the city’s western border—less than 1.5 miles from the Media District (Warner Bros. and Disney) and 2.5 miles from Hollywood Burbank Airport. For Burbank residents and media workers, NoHo functions as the city’s primary rapid-transit portal:

The Metro B Line (Red Line) Subway Spine

The B Line heavy-rail subway operates high-frequency electric trains (every 8 to 10 minutes throughout the day) on a grade-separated subterranean right-of-way that bypasses all Cahuenga Pass and 101 freeway traffic:

• NoHo to Universal City / Studio City: 3 minutes (immediate access to NBCUniversal and 10-Pin bowling/production offices).
• NoHo to Hollywood / Highland: 7 minutes (Hollywood entertainment core and Dolby Theatre).
• NoHo to Hollywood / Vine: 9 minutes (Capitol Records, Netflix Hollywood campus, and theatrical agencies).
• NoHo to Vermont / Sunset: 15 minutes (Kaiser Permanente & Children’s Hospital Los Angeles medical complexes).
• NoHo to Wilshire / Vermont: 20 minutes (cross-platform transfer to the D Line Subway heading through Koreatown, Miracle Mile, and Westwood/UCLA).
• NoHo to 7th St / Metro Center: 24 minutes (major downtown rail hub connecting to the A Line light rail to Long Beach or Pasadena, the E Line to Santa Monica or East LA, and the J Line BRT).
• NoHo to Los Angeles Union Station: 29 minutes (direct connection to long-distance Amtrak trains, Metrolink lines, and FlyAway airport coaches).

The Metro G Line (Orange Line) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

North Hollywood Station is also the eastern terminus of the Metro G Line, a 18-mile dedicated, grade-separated transitway running across the entire San Fernando Valley through Van Nuys, Sepulveda, Reseda, and Warner Center to the Chatsworth Metrolink station. It provides Burbank commuters with direct, traffic-free east-west access across the entire Valley basin.

Physical Burbank Connectors to the Subway

Burbank connects into the North Hollywood subway terminal through four distinct transportation arteries:

The Next Chapter: The North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Currently under construction through Metro’s Measure M transit investment program, the NoHo–Pasadena BRT Project is an 18-mile rapid transit line that will directly traverse Burbank. Operating in dedicated curb and median bus lanes with transit signal priority, the line will run from North Hollywood Station east along Olive Avenue through the Burbank Media District, connect at Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station, proceed through Glendale, and terminate at Pasadena’s Memorial Park and Del Mar A Line stations. With electric articulated buses running on 10-minute headways, it will give Burbank’s media workforce a one-seat rapid transit connection to both the subway in NoHo and light rail in Pasadena.

NoHo as an Intercity Coach Hub

Because North Hollywood Station provides massive park-and-ride facilities and direct subway access, it has become the default boarding hub for private intercity coach lines:

• FlixBus NoHo Terminal: Curbside express coaches depart daily from the NoHo transit island directly north on I-5 toward Bakersfield, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento, allowing Burbank riders to take a short bus or bike ride to NoHo and head directly to Northern California.
• Megabus & Regional Shuttles: Regular service linking the East Valley directly to Central Coast and NorCal destinations.

Public Data & Transit Resources

Inspect Burbank’s transit infrastructure and ridership data in our open catalogs:

• Burbank Transit Ridership & Bus Shelter Inventory (285 Stops)
• BurbankBus GTFS Stops & Route Schedules
• Burbank Traffic & Pedestrian Collision Map
• Outfront Media 76-Transit Shelter Network Investigation