Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Rail Car Upgrade

credit agreement executed

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) used a TIFIA loan and purchased 775 new passenger railcars as part of a $2.2 billion expansion and upgrade of the entire BART system that operates 48 million passenger trips annually.  The new railcars feature many accessibility and safety improvements; LED screens to provide improved customer information; digital cameras to enhance security and crime prevention; and three doors for entry and exit versus the previous two. 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.  The BART 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 percent of BART’s electric traction power comes from clean hydro and renewable sources.   Read the news release.