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NCTD light rail
The SPRINTER is North County's east–west rail line, connecting the coast at Oceanside to Vista, San Marcos and Escondido in about 55 minutes — a genuinely useful alternative to the Highway 78 crawl.
Last updated
The SPRINTER runs 22 miles between Oceanside and Escondido with 15 stations, including Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College. Fares are $2.50 one way with PRONTO, trains run every 30 minutes on weekdays, and it connects to the COASTER and Pacific Surfliner at Oceanside.
Route
Oceanside Transit Center ↔ Escondido Transit Center
Stations
15, including CSUSM and Palomar College
Fare
$2.50 one way / $6 day pass with PRONTO
End-to-end
About 55 minutes
Frequency
Every 30 minutes weekdays, hourly weekends
Connections
COASTER, Pacific Surfliner and Breeze buses at Oceanside
Ride Escondido to Oceanside for a beach day and the pier; stop in Vista for the brewery district around Indiana Avenue; or use the San Marcos Civic Center stop for Restaurant Row and the Hops Highway breweries.
$2.50 one way with PRONTO, with the same $6 day cap that applies to the Trolley and buses.
About 55 minutes for the full 22-mile route with 15 stops.
Yes — both use the Oceanside Transit Center, along with the Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink and Breeze buses.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .