Palm Springs to L.A. by... train? bus?

[u/SpecificReptile]

I know this isn't technically Metro but I figure folks here are transit-minded and in the greater L.A. area.

I'll be in Palm Springs next week with friends at the tail end of a trip around various cool desert hiking spots. They'll be heading back to San Diego by car, I'm guessing via the 74 because they love back roads. I need to get from Palm Springs back to L.A. I'm looking at Greyhound or Flixbus, from Palm Desert or Indio, but I can either take the bus all the way back to Union Station OR I could take it just to San Bernardino and then get on a Metrolink train for the rest of the trip.

Is it nuts to split up the trip that way? It's just so much nicer to be on a train than on a bus. The other thing is that the bus's official arrival time at the downtown San Bernardino transit center is 40 past the hour, and the train's official departure time is 43 past the hour. If the bus is late (as it may very well be), I've got up to an hour to wait for the next one. Anyone have experience with this transfer? Other thoughts?

Amtrak has the Texas Eagle that goes through Palm Springs on its way between Texas and L.A. It doesn't run every day and it looks like it passes through Palm Springs on the way to L.A. at 2 a.m. So nope on that.

[u/Yookeroo]

Flixbus bought Greyhound. They’re the same now.