Shasta County now has a daily Gold Runner bus to Sacramento International Airport and downtown Sacramento. The Redding Area Bus Authority Route 5 page and the official Gold Runner launch notice both date the new Thruway as two daily round trips, seven days a week.
That is a booking change, not a new train. The rail line still ends at Sacramento Valley Station.
- Service: Gold Runner Route 5, two daily round trips.
- Days: seven days a week, launched August 10, 2026.
- Stops: Redding, Red Bluff, Orland, Williams, SMF, Sacramento.
- Airport: Sacramento International Terminals A and B.
- Tickets: Amtrak or Gold Runner. KRCR reports $23 one way.
What Route 5 actually is
Route 5 is a Gold Runner Thruway bus, not an extension of the Gold Runner train north of Sacramento. The official RABA page says RABA is teaming with Gold Runner to connect Redding and Sacramento seven days a week.
The named stops on that page are Redding Amtrak Station, Red Bluff, Orland, Williams, Sacramento International Airport Terminals A and B, and Sacramento Valley Station.
Do not treat this as a Chico rail substitute. The opened official pages do not list Chico on Route 5. If your trip still needs Chico, use a different Thruway or local bus and do not assume Route 5 will divert.
KRCR reported on August 10 that Amtrak partnered with RABA to start the service that Monday. The station list in that report matches the official RABA stop list.
This is also not the July Gold Runner weekend fare sale that Deep Arrival already covered. That was a 30 percent weekend ticket window that ended July 25. Route 5 is a new daily bus product.
How the daily clock works
The official RABA page that this desk opened does not print departure times. Use the live Gold Runner or Amtrak schedule for the trip you hold.
KRCR, writing on launch day, said the first southbound ride leaves at 9:00 a.m. and the second at 1:40 p.m. The same report said northbound buses leave Sacramento at 1:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
Treat those four times as a local-news snapshot, not as a frozen timetable. Operators can shift a Thruway by a few minutes without changing the official stop list. A traveler who needs a 2:00 p.m. flight out of SMF should not assume the 9:00 a.m. bus is the only one that works, and a traveler who needs an evening Redding arrival should confirm the later Sacramento departure on the live card.
KRCR also told passengers to arrive early and check in with staff for track and bay details. Sacramento Valley Station is a train station first.
The same local report dates a ribbon-cutting for August 24 at 8:15 a.m. at the downtown Redding bus depot. That ceremony is not a ticket. Do not wait until August 24 to ride if you need the airport this week.
How to buy without guessing the fare
KRCR said tickets are $23 one way and can be bought on the Amtrak or Gold Runner website or in person at designated transit centers. That $23 figure is independent local reporting, not a number printed on the official RABA page this desk opened.
Buy on Amtrak’s Gold Runner page or the live Gold Runner booking path, then compare the total before you pay. If the website shows a different amount, trust the cart, not the TV figure.
A Thruway seat is not reserved the same way a long-distance sleeper is reserved. Confirm whether your ticket is date-specific and whether a train beyond Sacramento is a second ticket.
Airport passengers should treat SMF Terminals A and B as the useful stop, not downtown Sacramento. Downtown is right if you want the Capitol, a hotel, or a southbound train. The airport is right if you are flying. The official RABA page lists both, so pick the one that matches the trip.
Do not assume checked airline bags will transfer from the bus to the terminal. This is a public Thruway, not an airport coach with interline baggage.
Who this route actually helps
Route 5 is for Redding and North State travelers who were driving two and a half to three hours to SMF or Sacramento Valley Station. It is also for visitors who fly into SMF and want Redding without a rental car.
Deep Arrival’s Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area guide is the planning page for the outdoor trips that often start in Redding. Route 5 does not drop you at a trailhead. It drops you in Redding, then you still need a local ride to Whiskeytown, Shasta Lake, or Trinity.
It also helps Red Bluff, Orland, and Williams. Those towns sit on I-5 with little air service. A daily pair of buses is the difference between a same-day Sacramento appointment and an overnight drive.
Skip it if you need a late-night arrival, a same-day return that the two-trip clock cannot cover, or a stop the official list does not name. The official pages do not promise a guaranteed train connection.
Skip it also if you are traveling with oversize gear that a motorcoach cannot take. Confirm bikes, coolers, and strollers on the live Gold Runner baggage rules before you leave Redding.
What remains unknown
The opened official RABA page does not print the $23 fare, the four clock times, or a guaranteed train connection. Those gaps matter more than the ribbon-cutting.
Holiday schedules are another gap. Labor Day weekend sits inside the first month of this service. Recheck the live card before you assume the weekday pair still runs at the same hours.
Pickup points can be more precise than a city name. Red Bluff, Orland, and Williams need a live stop address from Gold Runner or Amtrak before you send a rideshare to the wrong lot.
If you are choosing between driving and riding, price parking at SMF against the $23 KRCR figure plus the local ride at each end. The bus wins when you would otherwise pay airport parking for more than a day. The car still wins when your flight is outside the two daily windows.
| If you | What to do |
|---|---|
| Need SMF from Redding this week | Buy Route 5 on Amtrak or Gold Runner and confirm the live time. |
| Need downtown Sacramento or a southbound train | Ride to Sacramento Valley Station, not the airport stop. |
| Need Chico or a late-night arrival | Skip Route 5. This card does not list those trips. |
| Are flying the same day | Match the KRCR 9:00 a.m. or 1:40 p.m. bus to your flight, then recheck. |
| Want Whiskeytown or Shasta after SMF | Ride to Redding, then arrange a local transfer. The bus is not a trailhead shuttle. |
- Live times: Official RABA copy does not print the clock. Recheck Amtrak.
- Fare: KRCR reported $23 one way. Trust the booking cart if it differs.
- Stop address: Confirm Red Bluff, Orland, and Williams on the live card.
- Connections: No official guaranteed handoff to a Gold Runner train.
- August 24 event: The Redding ribbon-cutting is not a service start.
If you need Redding to SMF or Sacramento without driving I-5, Route 5 is the current official pair. Buy the live Amtrak or Gold Runner ticket, confirm the stop and the hour, and do not wait for the August 24 ceremony.
When did Gold Runner Route 5 start?
The official Gold Runner launch notice and KRCR both date the start to August 10, 2026. RABA lists two daily round trips, seven days a week.
Where does Gold Runner Route 5 stop?
The official RABA page names Redding Amtrak Station, Red Bluff, Orland, Williams, Sacramento International Airport Terminals A and B, and Sacramento Valley Station.
What time does Route 5 leave Redding?
KRCR reported 9:00 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. southbound. The official RABA page this desk opened does not print times, so confirm on Amtrak or Gold Runner.
How much is Gold Runner Route 5?
KRCR reported $23 one way on Amtrak, Gold Runner, or at designated transit centers. Check the live cart before you pay.
Does Route 5 go to Chico?
No. The official RABA stop list does not include Chico. Use a different Thruway if Chico is the destination.
