Global Rail News: BART ‘Fleet of the Future’ carriages enter service

The first train of the San Francisco Bay Area’s ‘Fleet of the Future’ has entered revenue service.

The inaugural ride out at MacArthur station on January 19 follows months of testing.

More than 2,900 modifications have been made to the prototype trains, which were certified by the California Public Utilities Commission earlier this month. ...

At peak production, between 16 and 20 new carriages will be delivered every month, with the final vehicles due to arrive by the end of 2022.

BART board president Robert Raburn said in a statement: “The sight of this new train in service is a sign of a brighter future for BART customers.”

He added: “Adding new train cars and phasing out BART’s legacy fleet is just one of the ways we are modernizing. We are also replacing track and infrastructure and bringing on a new train control system to improve reliablity and run trains closer together. But for now let’s all enjoy the look and feel of the brand-new cars.”

Bay City News Service: New Bart Train Picks Up First Passengers

BART officials were thrilled about the new cars' potential to relieve crowding on trains, get passengers in an out of cars and get riders at least some of what they've asked for such as a quieter and cleaner ride.

"Today is a milestone for BART 2.0," BART board president Robert Raburn said. "These new cars are going to decrease crowding and improve passenger comfort."

Raburn added, "Each new car we put into service will lengthen other trains, moving us closer to our goal to run all 10-car trains during the peak transbay commute."