1st new BART car arrives in Bay Area
HAYWARD, Calif. (KTVU) - The first new BART car, which is part of the "fleet of the future," has arrived in the Bay Area.
The train car is 70 feet long, 10 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 65,500 pounds.
BART officials said the face of the new car has a more modern feel than their current aging cars but still manages to keep the transit agency's iconic look. The new cars have improvements including extra space under the seats, air conditioning and a real time map.
There will be a total of 775 cars coming to the Bay Area. They're being built by the Bombardier Transit Corporation at a facility in Plattsburgh, New York.
The cars will arrive in the Bay Area in stages from 2016 to 2021. A total of 10 test cars will arrive in the Bay Area this year, with 54 arriving next year.
The target date for putting the first 10 cars into service is this December if testing goes well and no major re-engineering is required.
BART officials originally had hoped to put the first 10 cars into service last year.
BART plans to begin retiring its aging cars when it's appropriate, paying close attention to ridership needs and safety.