Route 18 Returns with Seasonal Service on Select Operating Days Beginning August 22, Connecting Hanford with Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo
New Seasonal Thruway Bus service operating on select dates beginning August 22, expanding Gold Runner connections between the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast
(August 17, 2026 — Stockton, CA) — Gold Runner is expanding the reach of its passenger rail network with the return of Route 18 with seasonal Thruway Bus service beginning Saturday, August 22, 2026, providing connections between Hanford, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and downtown San Luis Obispo.
Route 18 will operate on select, high-demand travel dates throughout the 2026–27 academic year, giving students, families, and other travelers a convenient public transportation option between the San Joaquin Valley and California’s Central Coast.
The service is timed to connect with Gold Runner trains at Hanford Station, allowing passengers traveling throughout the Gold Runner corridor to continue their trip directly to Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo, allowing for connections to the Pacific Surfliner.
“Our connecting Thruway Bus network extends passenger rail access Gold Runner to communities throughout California,” said Chris Orlando, CEO of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. “Route 18 expands that network giving Gold Runner passengers a renewed connection from Hanford to Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo, while providing students, families and other travelers with another convenient transportation option.”
The service will offer one round-trip allowing passengers to connect from trains 702 and 713 for a southbound departure from Hanford Station at 11:15 a.m., arriving at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 1:45 p.m. and downtown San Luis Obispo at 2:00 p.m.
For the return trip, there will be a departure from San Luis Obispo at 2:45 p.m. and Cal Poly at 3:00 p.m., arriving at Hanford Station at 5:30 p.m., where passengers can connect with evening Gold Runner trains 703 and 716.
The new route also creates an additional connection for passengers traveling from Visalia. Riders can take KART Route 15 between Visalia and Hanford and connect with Thruway Bus Route 18 at the Hanford Station. KART fares are purchased separately and are not included with Gold Runner or Route 18 tickets.
“We’re excited to partner with Gold Runner to make this new connection available to our riders,” said Angie Dow, Executive Director of the Kings County Area Public Transit Agency (KART). “By connecting KART Route 15 with Gold Runner’s new Route 18 service in Hanford, passengers from Visalia and throughout our region will have an easier way to reach Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo. Partnerships like this help expand travel options and make public transportation more useful for the communities we serve.”
Route 18 will operate on select dates beginning August 22, 2026, with additional service offered around weekends, holidays, academic breaks and other key travel periods through May 2027.
Tickets for Route 18, including bus-only trips and travel connecting with Gold Runner trains, can be purchased through the Gold Runner website. Passengers using KART Route 15 between Visalia and Hanford will need to purchase their KART fare separately.
For the complete Route 18 schedule, operating dates, ticketing information and additional details, visit GoldRunner.com/Route-18.
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About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA)
Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Gold Runner, previously Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile Gold Runner Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com. Gold Runner is Amtrak’s 6th busiest route with 18 train stations throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area, providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Gold Runner is currently running six daily round-trips. In addition to the train service, Gold Runner Thruway buses provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno.