What is the USC Train and How Does it Work?
What is the USC Train?
The USC Train is a weekend-long experience for USC Alumni and fans, including a first-class train trip from Los Angeles to a USC Game location, pep rallies with USC Spirit of Troy band members and USC Song Girls, and an afternoon of tailgating and USC Football. Proceeds from the USC Train are donated to the Trojan Marching Band.
For the train ride, USC Train passengers ride Amtrak’s Coast Starlight route. USC Train occupies all of the first-class cabins, which gives our group exclusive access to the train’s sleeper cars (private cabins for each passenger) and the train’s Pacific Parlour Car (including full-bar, lounge, and movie-theater). USC Train passengers also enjoy free meals in the dining car.
What happens on the train?
An average USC Train trip goes something like this:
Thursday Morning:
Pep Rally at Union Station in Los Angeles — marching band and song girls lead the USC Train passengers through the Union Station corridor and onto the USC Train.
Thursday
Enjoy the USC Train, including first-class private cabins, movie theater, full-bar, lounge, observation car, restaurant, and lots of USC fans and socializing. (Oh, and the bar is open the moment we board the train - it’s five o’clock somewhere). USC events and games will take place throughout the trip, or if you’re feeling tired, you can retire to your private sleeping cabin.
Friday Afternoon
Arrive at the destination, and transport passengers to the USC Train hotels - most passengers choose to stay in one of the “official” USC Train hotels.
Friday Evening Pep Rally
The local USC Alumni association plans a pep rally that takes palce on Friday night. It’s a great mixer and a chance to hear the USC Band in full force.
Friday Evening (After the Rally)
The evening is on-your-own. Explore the destination city, and get some early Christmas shopping done.
Saturday
Tailgate party and USC Football Game. If we win, go out and celebrate with fellow USC fans on Saturday night. If we don’t win, go out and drink away your sorrows with fellow USC fans on Saturday night.
Sunday
On-your-own. Return airfare is not a part of the USC Train package, so be sure to book your flight back. The USC Train destinations cities always have several options for flights back to Southern California.
