BART continues upgrades to its train system to better power supply

Ensuring there’s a reliable source of traction power for trains is a priority for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), so it’s replacing the electrical cabling across the system and the traction power substations, starting with the substations at the San Leandro station.  

Despite the amount of installation work ahead, the new substation should be up and running this November. Just this past weekend a 46,000-pound transformer was delivered on a flatbed tractor trailer to the site along with two DC Switchgear Houses weighing 42,000 and 59,000 pounds respectively. In addition to replacing existing substations, BART plans to build two new ones in downtown San Francisco, a critical step toward BART being able to run more trains. An upgraded power system, the installation of a new train control system, and the addition of more Fleet of the Future cars will allow BART to increase the number of trains that travel through the Transbay Tube during the peak hours of the commute from 23 to 30.

The substation work is one of the many projects being funded by voter-approved Measure RR. The measure provides $3.5 billion for infrastructure upgrades across BART. There are currently 32 RR-funded projects throughout BART that are either in construction or complete.