BART Adds More Trains As Ridership Continues To Bounce Back

BAY AREA, CA — Starting Monday, BART will be adding more trains to certain lines during peak commute times to keep up with increased ridership, BART officials said.

On select BART lines, commuter trains at 15-minute frequencies will be added during the workweek, and trains at 30-minute frequencies will be added to the weekend schedule.

The first early morning train out of the Concord BART station will depart a few minutes earlier with earlier departure times down the line. Several other morning train times have adjusted by one minute earlier.

As for Antioch and Pittsburg Center riders, they will benefit from the increased service in the peak direction of travel with BART-to-Antioch trains meeting all added BART trains at the transfer platform.

In response to increased ridership, BART had 47,785 riders Tuesday — the upcoming changes maintain social distancing aboard BART trains and provide added flexibility for riders' commute times.

"We are running long trains all day despite low ridership to help with social distancing," according to BART officials.

BART reported 47,785 riders Tuesday, a number that was still 89 percent below BART's baseline ridership.

Yet, the increase in number of trains marks "the largest weekday service increase since the COVID-19 pandemic hit," BART officials said.

The new schedule has been entered into BART's online Trip Planner, and the current as well as new timetables are available at Bart.gov/schedules/pdf.

Effective Monday, here are BART's specific changes to the Antioch-Daly City (Yellow) Line:

• A total of four added trains weekdays to further expand 15-minute frequencies, in addition to the six trains that were added in June.
• 15-minute frequencies will now be provided weekdays from 5am-7:45am (with the last 15 minute interval train departing Pittsburg Bay Point at 7:46am and arriving at SFO at 9:13am) and 3:10 pm-5:40 pm (with the last 15-minute interval train departing Daly City at 5:40 pm and arriving at Pittsburg/Bay Point at 6:50 pm).
• Antioch and Pittsburg Center riders will benefit from the increased service in the peak direction of travel with BART to Antioch trains meeting all added BART trains at the transfer platform.
• The first early morning train out of Concord will now depart a few minutes earlier with earlier departure times down the line. Several other morning train times have adjusted by one minute earlier. Riders should check the new schedule to prevent missing their regular train by a few minutes.
• On Saturdays, the first trains departing on this line will begin 15 minutes earlier and have 30-minute frequencies throughout the day (compared to 20-minute frequencies currently).
• On Sundays, the first trains departing on this line will begin 10-20 minutes earlier and service will be 30-minute frequencies (compared to 24-minute frequencies currently).

See all line-specific changes here.

Bay City News Service and contributed to this report.