MENU
SEARCHReplacing the current system, which is 47 years old, will allow more trains to run closer together and enhance Transbay capacity.
Funding for BART's new train control system is coming from a variety of local, state, and federal sources including $400 million from Measure RR.
BART
The Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) board voted to award a $798 million contract to Hitachi Rail STS USA Inc. to design and build a modern Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system that will dramatically improve future BART service.
Replacing the current train control system, which is 47 years old, will allow BART to run more trains closer together and significantly enhance Transbay capacity. The contract is expected to be the largest BART award this decade.
“This will be a pivotal project in BART’s history,” said BART GM Bob Powers. “We will now be able to eliminate aged and obsolete equipment. Modernizing our train control system will help us to support future ridership in the busiest sections of our system.”
Funding for the new train control system is coming from a variety of local, state, and federal sources including $400 million from Measure RR. Voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties approved Measure RR in 2016 to provide $3.5 billion in bond funding to rebuild BART’s infrastructure. Major funding is also anticipated to come from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant Program.
The new train control system is one of BART’s Big Four Capital Projects that comprise the Transbay Corridor Core Capacity Project. The $3.5 billion project calls for a new train control system, 306 more Fleet of the Future cars, a maintenance complex for the new train cars, and new electrical substations to ensure reliable power for all trains.
BART currently relies on a fixed-block train control system. The technology is very safe but relies on widely spaced signal blocks to denote train occupancy, contributing to longer distances between trains and increased travel times, according to the agency. The new CBTC system can more precisely detect a train’s location, which improves reliability and allows for more efficient train movement. Shortening the distance between trains means BART can operate more trains and decrease travel times. The new train control system will be installed over the next 11 years.
In addition to the main contract, Hitachi Rail has been awarded nearly $82 million in contracts to design, build, and support the CBTC system for the Silicon Valley Extension. Funding for this work will be provided by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
Read More →
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Read More →
The new bridge will begin carrying passenger trains on March 16, replacing a 116-year-old swing bridge that has long caused delays.
Read More →
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
Read More →
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Read More →
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
Read More →
The strategy outlines near- and long-term upgrades to ease congestion, support housing growth, and advance statewide climate goals.
Read More →
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Read More →
The procurement advances the agency's broader efforts to modernize its rail fleet and position Regional Rail for long-term improvement.
Read More →
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
Read More →
