This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
10/30/2024
The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced a $545 million loan through the Build America Bureau to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) for 775 new passenger-rail cars.
The new rail cars are part of a $2.2 billion expansion and upgrade of the entire BART system, which provides 48 million passenger trips annually.
The loan is being issued through the bureau's Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, according to a USDOT press release.
The new rail cars feature many accessibility and safety improvements, LED screen, digital cameras to enhance security and crime prevention, and three doors for entry and exit versus the previous two. Due to a revised production schedule and accelerated monthly delivery rate of the new rail cars, completed in September, the project is expected to save up to $394 million overall compared to original budget estimates, USDOT officials said.
Additionally, by financing the cost of the rail cars, BART is able to use other capital funds to invest in a new police department headquarters.
Assembled at Alstom's manufacturing plant in Plattsburgh, New York, the new cars feature lightweight aluminum exteriors that reduce energy usage, white roofs that deflect heat to lessen the load on the interior cooling system, and improved regenerative braking that returns electricity to the power distribution system. Additionally, 100% of BART’s electric traction power comes from clean hydro and renewable sources.
"Our new 'Fleet of the Future' rail cars are an important component of BART’s safe and clean plan and crucial to our efforts to grow ridership post-pandemic," said BART Board President Bevan Dufty.