SMART Will Begin Passenger Service to the New Larkspur and Novato Downtown Stations on December 14, 2019 | Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit

SMART Will Begin Passenger Service to the New Larkspur and Novato Downtown Stations on December 14, 2019

Friday, December 6, 2019 - 3:40pm
Petaluma, CA— At the December 4, Board of Directors meeting, SMART General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, announced that passenger service to the new Larkspur and Downtown Novato stations would begin on Saturday, December 14.

The new Larkspur station will offer a vital connection to the Bay Area for commuters and visitors alike via the Golden Gate Ferry.  The Larkspur station will also serve as a gateway for tourists wishing to visit Marin and Sonoma counties.  SMART will be working with business leaders to attract visitors to travel by train for tourism and recreation to the beautiful North Bay.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies: SMART invites the community to join the celebrations marking the opening of the two new stations.  On Friday, December 13, at 1:00 PM, SMART will host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Larkspur Station, followed by festivities at the Marin Country Mart.  The following day, Saturday, December 14, at 10:30 AM,  the City of Novato will host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Downtown Novato station.  

Ride into the holidays on the SMART Train: SMART invites you to start a new holiday tradition aboard the Holiday Express.  Saturday, December 14, SMART’s Holiday Express Toy Drive Train returns for the 4th year in a row.  Hop aboard this special train decked out for the holidays and bring an unwrapped toy or gift card to donate to Toys-for-Tots and our local non-profit partners. Help us fill a train full of toys to make the holidays bright for children in need!  Enjoy free delicious eggnog from Clover Sonoma and treats aboard this holiday train.  Riders can take the Holiday Express to Downtown Novato and to the Larkspur station for holiday festivities at the Marin Country Mart. The Holiday Express will make two southbound trips and two northbound trips on Saturday, December 14.

Temporary Schedule:  From December 14 – 31, SMART will operate with an temporary timetable that includes service to the new Larkspur station and weekend-only service to the Downtown Novato station. The temporary schedule will allow riders to take advantage of the new expanded train service for trips to and from the San Francisco Bay for commuting, holiday shopping and recreation.

New Expanded Schedule for 2020: On January 1, 2020 SMART will roll out a NEW timetable featuring expanded service on weekdays, more train trips, and better connections to regional transit services.  The new 2020 service timetable  is part of a coordinated effort with regional transit agencies to offer more efficient connections to the Larkspur ferry and bus service throughout Sonoma and Marin counties. Additionally, the increased frequency of trains will allow SMART to carry more passengers during peak commute hours and offer earlier train service on weekends.