This story is archived. Visit bart.gov/news for the latest BART news.

BART schedule changes 9/12/22 with several improvements

On September 12, 2022, BART’s schedule is changing to provide better spaced apart trains, add earlier train options, end scheduled single tracking in San Francisco, and improve transfers between BART and partner transit agencies. The new schedule also provides a new level of consistency seven days a week than we’ve ever had before.

The new schedule is loaded into our trip planning tools and PDF timetables can be found here. 

Improvements at a glance:

  • Improved spacing between trains on nights and weekends through San Francisco
  • The end of Sunday single tracking and reduced service in San Francisco from cable replacement; all Sundays will have 5-line service scheduled
  • The end of scheduled nightly Transbay Tube single tracking is near (beginning Jan. 2, 2023)  
  • 30-minute common headways seven days per week offer predictability and less planning
  • We are offering even earlier trains for early morning riders
  • Improved connections with regional transit partners, with significant improvements with Caltrain, especially on weekends
  • Improved transfers at Bay Fair
  • Less wait time travelling through Millbrae to and from SFO

Consistent Spacing Between Train Arrivals with Even Headways

BART riders will soon benefit from trains better spaced apart on nights and on Sundays to better serve late-night workers and those who are taking BART to and from events, restaurants, and other fun activities.

Single tracking through San Francisco from cable replacement work will be completed by September 12, and Transbay Tube single tracking from earthquake retrofit work will be completed by the end of the year.

With the completion of these projects, instead of running the Yellow (Antioch - SFO+Millbrae) and Blue (Dublin/Pleasanton - Daly City) line trains very close together through San Francisco with a long gap, the Yellow and Blue line trains will be evenly spaced apart, reducing wait times for many riders.

Red and Orange line trains from Richmond and Green and Orange line trains from Berryessa are spaced much more evenly every day, all day.

Matching Train Times Seven Days a Week 

Currently BART has different schedules for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Train arrival times don’t match up each day of the week and consistency is only provided on weekdays. Weekend BART riders will now benefit from a standard weekend schedule. Train schedules will be exactly the same on Saturday and Sunday, except at opening (since we open at different times) and the extra 15-minute service on the Yellow line on Saturdays.

With some exceptions, if you have a train at noon on a Saturday, it will be there at noon on Sunday and on weekdays. This offers predictability to riders no matter what day of the week it is. Specifically, trains will now run at the same times all 7 days of the week on the Orange (Richmond - Berryessa), Yellow (Antioch - SFO), and Blue (Dublin - Daly City) lines with the same frequency currently offered. However, the Red (Richmond - Millbrae + SFO) and Green (Berryessa - Daly City) Lines will run with schedules adjusted by just a couple minutes between Weekdays and Weekends, with the same frequency currently offered.

Earlier Trips Added

We’ve adjusted the first train of the morning on many of our lines to give riders an earlier option. We recommend early morning riders check our new schedule.

Some noteworthy changes:

  • 17 trains that are the first trains to be dispatched on a line now have earlier departure times, some as much as 34 minutes earlier.
  • People flying into SFO in the morning will find earlier trains each day of the week.
  • We added some new early morning trips to increase options. For example, seven days per week there are three new Green Line trains departing Daly City adding more morning service into downtown San Francisco and the East Bay starting at 4:45am on weekdays, 6:02am on Saturdays, and 8:02am on Sundays.
  • We added a 4:59am Blue line train departing Dublin in response to many riders asking for an earlier option on this line.
  • Starting in November, there will be a new Yellow line train at 4:40am departing from Daly City to Antioch.

Improved Transfers at Bay Fair

We flipped the Blue and Orange line arrival times at Bay Fair to improve the transfer.  When you transfer from the Blue Line at Bay Fair, the next Orange Line train will arrive in just a few minutes, even on weekends. Weekdays, trips from Dublin to Berryessa will have a timed transfer at Bay Fair.

Less Wait Time at Millbrae for SFO Trips

Currently Red line (Richmond - Millbrae + SFO) trips take six minutes longer than Yellow line trips to and from SFO. This is because of the time it takes to pass through Millbrae and to change direction.  We’ve shaved off one minute from this extra time.

Improved Connections with Regional Partners

Having a standard matching schedule each day of the week, means our partner transit agencies can more easily line their schedules up with ours resulting in improved connections, especially on weekends. Our new schedule was provided to partner agencies several months in advance so they can align their times to better match up with our trains. This is part of the work our agencies are doing to make riding transit throughout the Bay Area easier.

Union City for example begins its schedule change effective September 10 and will pulse its bus with BART’s new schedule.

Platform Details Added to Trip Planner and Data Feeds

In the coming weeks, BART will begin showing platform specific details on our Trip Planner and our data feed that powers third party apps. This will help guide riders, especially new riders and tourists, where they need to go when they arrive at a station. Also, the way trains will be labeled in trip plan results will match what the platform digital signs display to make taking BART easier.

This article was originally posted on 9/1/22