Yellow line extra commute trains cancelled during low ridership

BART ridership on Tuesday March 17, 2020, the first day of the Shelter in Place orders, was 54,031. That represents an 87% drop in ridership compared to an average Tuesday in February. BART is running regular service, with trains long enough for social distancing, to provide transportation for essential workers such as health care providers, first responders and grocery store clerks.

Starting Thursday March 19, BART will temporarily eliminate the extra commute trains that run during the AM and PM commute on the Yellow (Antioch-SFO) line until further notice. The regular base schedule of 15-minute headways during commute hours will remain systemwide. The trains being cancelled are the extra trains that provide more frequent service during our busiest hours on our busiest line.  These trains are traditionally cancelled during periods of low ridership, such as the December holiday season. 

Social distancing will remain possible on the yellow line all day.  BART staff pulled data from Wednesday morning showing cars that make up the extra commute trains carried an average of 7 riders per car.  Moving these riders to the base trains that run every 15 minutes will not cause crowding and riders will be able to maintain social distancing.

The Trip Planner and platform digital monitors will show the eliminated trains as “cancelled.”

Temporarily eliminating these extra trains during low ridership will reduce maintenance needs, allow for additional cleaning of the cars, and provide train operators to backfill vacancies.  

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