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BART's Fleet of the Future is a game-changing shift in Bay Area public transportation. Fully implemented by September 2023, the new fleet requires 33% less maintenance and has seen an increase of over 100% in reliability compared to the now retired Legacy Fleet, resulting in an enhanced rider experience and lower labor costs.
By Ashley DelCastillo, Ava Hu, Fiona Ulrich, Victor Ochieng, WanYu Yao
Reporting from UC Berkeley
Richmond, CA, Aug. 27,2024. New overhead LED lights in the Fleet of the Future train cars.
Richmond, CA, Aug. 27,2024. New overhead LED lights in the Fleet of the Future train cars.
The Fleet of the Future was exclusively designed for BART’s railways by public transportation manufacturer Alstom, originally known as Bombardier. The new fleet is composed of two types of cars, D cars and E cars, with a recently developed wheel profile that improves the lifespan of the wheels. The cars of the Legacy Fleet needed thousands of overhead light replacements each year, whereas the Fleet of the Future has required only seven within the last six years. In improving the new fleet, BART partnered with BMW to configure advanced noise reduction mechanisms, cultivating a more comfortable ride.
The Legacy Fleet operated for half a century before the trains were retired. After determining that they were at the end of their lifespan, BART initiated a plan for the upgrade to a new fleet that prioritized public interest.
First, they drew up a proposal to raise funding. Then, Bay Area residents filled out surveys online, visited mock train models, and provided their feedback at seating lab locations set up by BART. Multiple companies bid on the project and Bombardier won, becoming the manufacturer of the Fleet of the Future.
Although the new fleet has been successful in many respects, it has experienced setbacks too. “There was a time when we were taking deliveries of these [new] cars and one of the systems within the cars was unreliable. Trains were breaking down in the middle of service and not moving,” said BART media relations manager, Jim Allison. This hindered implementation of the new fleet and caused BART to receive negative press coverage initially. To overcome this, BART and Alstom made software changes that guaranteed the cars reliability.
Richmond, CA, Aug. 27,2024. Improved seating in the train car.
There are four BART maintenance repair shops responsible for servicing the new fleet of cars. “This is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week operation” said Superintendent of the Richmond location, Jeffrey Haddad, “the time it takes [us] to repair cars is crucial, we want them back on their tracks ASAP.” Teamwork and around-the-clock expertise of Haddad and his staff create a flow of work that minimizes delay and maximizes efficiency, getting train cars back out on their tracks.
Richmond, CA, Aug. 27,2024. Superintendent of Richmond shop, Jeffrey Haddad discussing train repair processes.
Richmond, CA, Aug. 27,2024. BART Media Relations Manager, Jim Allison at BART fare gates in Richmond.
Trains On-Time - Daily Rate
Overall Customer Satisfaction
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