Major work on track rebuild in Richmond successfully completed

3/16/21 Update:

BART track crews worked for several months including around-the-clock on five non-consecutive weekends from January through March to successfuly complete the replacement of an interlocking near Richmond Station. An interlocking is a key section of track that allows trains to move safely from line to line. Follow up work will continue in the area for several weeks but all construction that required the track to be shut down on those work weekends between the Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte stations has been completed. Check out a time-lapse video of the work here.

Work has started on the replacement of nearly 50-year-old trackway components next to the Richmond Station.  As the project moves forward, crews will focus on rebuilding an interlocking, which is a critical section of track that functions like an intersection for cars by allowing trains to safely move from one line to another. BART has successfully completed similar track replacement projects in Oakland, Concord, Lafayette, Orinda, and Hayward.

The work will require track closures at the Richmond Station for five weekends starting in January through March starting with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  The shutdown weekends will be January 16-18, January 30-31, February 13-15, February 27-28, and March 13-14.  The extra day of work provided by a holiday weekend gives crews a 67% boost in time for productive construction compared with a typical two-day weekend. 

Riders can avoid construction impacts by going directly to El Cerrito del Norte instead of Richmond Station.  Riders can also take a free bus provided by AC Transit between Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte on shutdown weekends.  Riders who take the bus option should plan to add 15-20 minutes to their trips.

During these track closure weekends some neighbors and nearby businesses will experience noise coming from equipment and crews along with construction lighting at night.  Noise levels are expected to be like those from past maintenance work in the area.  Also, in the months prior to and after the weekend shutdowns some construction activities will occur during hours when BART trains are not running.  Any work that can be completed without disruption to service will be facilitated within these windows. The results of this project will be a safer and more reliable system for riders and a quieter BART experience for neighbors.

The project is funded by Measure RR, a $3.5 billion bond measure that voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties overwhelmingly approved in 2016 to rebuild BART to make the system safer and more reliable.

Learn more about the project on our Frequently Asked Questions and Fact Sheet pages.

*This article was originally published on 11/13/20.