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Final weekend shutdown cancelled for major track rebuilding project near Hayward Station as crews reach milestone

9/22/20 Update: 

BART’s work team has completed the most challenging aspects of the trackway replacement project that has been going on near the Hayward Station for several months.  Because of this significant progress BART is cancelling the last of five scheduled weekend track shutdowns between the Bay Fair and South Hayward stations that had been planned for October 3rd and 4th.  The work team used four previous shutdown weekends to work around the clock to replace a track interlocking.  An interlocking for a railway is like an intersection for cars, they’re needed to allow trains to safely move from line to line.

Work is continuing near Hayward Station through December to complete the project.  Much of that work is happening during evening and overnight hours when BART is not in service but the remaining construction does not require any additional track closures that would impact riders.

Project goals accomplished so far include:

  • Replaced four track switches that are at the end of their useful lives.  These are large track components that can measure up to 200 feet in length.
  • Replaced approximately 300 badly worn wooden ties with longer-lasting, concrete ones.
  • Replaced 650 tons of rock ballast, which is essential for stabilizing the rail.

Many of the track components replaced were nearly 50 years old and had outlived their design lives.  

Next track rebuilding project to happen in Richmond

BART is targeting stretches of trackway in the system that are in the greatest need of replacement and prioritizing work on those sections.  The next segment scheduled for replacement is near the Richmond Station.  Preliminary work for the project is scheduled to begin in October and will require four weekend track shutdowns near the Richmond Station starting in mid-January.  The four shutdown weekends are scheduled for January 16-18, January 30-31, February 13-15, and February 27-28.  Free buses will replace train service on those weekends between the Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte stations.

Track rebuilding work is supported by voter-approved Measure RR, which provides $3.5 billion to support BART’s efforts to replace its critical infrastructure.  Since the approval of Measure RR by District voters in 2016 BART has successfully completed major track replacement projects in Lafayette, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, and West Oakland.


7/6/20 Update: The weekend shutdown dates have been shifted so that the first track shutdown between the Bay Fair and South Hayward stations for this project will be August 1-2. The weekends when free buses will replace regular train service between the Bay Fair and South Hayward stations are August 1-2, August 22-23, September 5-7 (Labor Day weekend), and September 19-20. Riders who need to use the bus bridge should plan to add 20-40 minutes to their trips.


Between July and October 2020, BART crews will be working around the clock to replace and rebuild the nearly 50-year-old interlocking and other critical track components located just south of the Hayward BART Station. An interlocking is like an intersection for trains. It allows trains to cross from one track to another.

During this three-month period, there will be five non-consecutive weekends when BART crews will need to work in the trackway all weekend long. To keep crews safe, BART will close the trackway between the Bay Fair and South Hayward stations and replace train service with free buses provided by AC Transit.  The weekends when free buses will replace regular train service between the Bay Fair and South Hayward stations are August 1-2, August 22-23, September 5-7 (Labor Day weekend), September 19-20, and October 3-4. Riders who need to use the bus bridge should plan to add 20-40 minutes to their trips.

During these track closure weekends some neighbors and nearby businesses will experience noises coming from equipment and crews along with seeing bright lights at night.  Noise levels are expected to be like those from past maintenance work in the area. The results of this project will be a safer and more reliable system for riders and a quieter BART experience for neighbors. It will also mean that BART will not have to do this sort of work in the same neighborhood for decades to come.

The work team will maximize its time in the trackway by not only replacing the track interlocking but also by accomplishing a series of vital rebuilding tasks.  Project highlights include:

  • Replacing four track switches that are at the end of their useful lives.  These are large track components that can measure up to 200 feet in length and allow trains to move from line to line.
  • Installing approximately 4,000 feet of new rail.
  • Replacing approximately 700 badly worn wooden ties with longer-lasting, concrete ones.
  • Replacing 1,000 tons of rock ballast, which is essential for stabilizing the rail.
  • Installing 400 feet of duct banks, conduit, and cabling in preparation for the installation of a new train control system, which will eventually allow BART to run more frequent service.
  • Replacing approximately 1,400 feet of electrified third rail, third rail coverboards, and other traction power components.
  • Installing new 34.5 kV power lines to ensure trains have a reliable source of power.
  • Installation of new, yellow platform edge tiles on the Hayward Station platform.

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.

You can learn more about the project on our fact sheet and frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages.

Originally published: 6/2/2020