BART connects San Francisco and the Peninsula to the East Bay using right-of-way tracks where 5 operational lines converge underground in Downtown Oakland, known as the Oakland Wye. During weekdays, four of the five lines run Transbay service, connecting downtown San Francisco to the East Bay. At peak service (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), the headways between San Francisco and Oakland is up to approximately 24 trains per hour.
The Transbay Corridor Core Capacity Program (TCCCP) is a package of strategic investments to relieve crowding and to allow for continued ridership growth by enabling BART to operate up to 30 ten-car trains per hour on the main trunk of the existing system between San Francisco and Oakland and maximizing frequent service in the most heavily used part of the system. These strategic investments fall into four major categories: the procurement of 306 additional Fleet of the Future railcars; expansion of Hayward Maintenance Complex; Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC); and additional traction power substations to supply electricity to the trains.
For the crucial work of powering more frequent trains under TCCCP, five new traction power substations will be constructed:
- Downtown San Francisco – Civic Center Station (Construction Date: Spring 2021 - 2023)
- Downtown San Francisco – Montgomery Station (Construction Date: Spring 2021 – 2023)
- Oakland – 34th Street & I-980 (KTF) (Construction Date: TBD)
- Concord – Minert Road & David Avenue (Construction Date: TBD)
- Richmond – Portola Avenue & 15th Street (Construction Date: TBD)
Traction Power Facilities Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Traction Power Facility?
Traction Power Facilities take incoming power from PG&E and convert it to 1,000 Volts (V) Direct Current (DC) power for BART’s 3rd rail system. These facilities also monitor, regulate, and ensure safe distribution of power throughout the system.
Why are Traction Power Facilities important?
There are over 100 Traction Power Facilities across the BART system that provide stable and constant power to operate trains that provide safe, clean, and reliable transportation to residents of the San Francisco Bay Area.
What are the different types of Traction Power Facilities?
There are 5 types of facilities:
High Voltage Substation – Houses the high voltage substation transformers and AC breakers and takes incoming PG&E 115kV or 60kV AC power and converts it to 34.5kV AC for distribution to the Traction Power Substations.
Switching Station – Houses AC breakers that accept the incoming 34.5kV AC power and monitors and distributes to Traction Power Substations via the Sub-Transmission Cable Distribution system.
Sub-transmission 34.5kV Cable Distribution System - The distribution system is composed of approximately 225 circuit miles of Right and Left cables that distribute the 34.5kV AC power throughout the BART service territory to each of the 72 Traction Power Substations.
• Gap Breaker Station – Provides BART Operations the ability to isolate and connect 3rd rail sections together to maximize system redundancy and flexibility.
Traction Power Substation (TPSS) – Provides electrical conversion of 34.5kV AC to 1,000V DC to power the 3rd rail. A TPSS is composed of a transformer, rectifier, and 1,000V DC breakers.
What are the main components of a Traction Power Facility?
Transformer – The transformer is used to stepdown the 34.5kV AC to 785V AC, which lowers the voltage before rectifying it to DC voltage.
Rectifier – The rectifier converts the 785V AC into 1,000V DC power to power the train motors.
- 1,000V DC Breakers – These breakers control the 1,000V DC power into different sections of the Contact Rail (3rd rail) and can also
High Voltage Substation Transformer – The transformers stepdown utility 115kV or 60kV AC power for use in the BART 34.5kV AC distribution network.
Sub-transmission 34.5kV Cable Distribution System – The distribution system is composed of Right and Left cables that distribute the 34.5kV AC power throughout the BART service territory.
3rd rail (Contact Rail) – The 3rd rail is located parallel to the running tracks and is used to transfer the 1,000V DC to the train. The train paddles contact the 3rd rail to receive 1,000V DC power to run the four electric traction power motors in each car of the train.
What safety and security measures are in place for Traction Power Facilities?
Electrical protections include continuous monitoring for abnormal conditions, automated shutdowns in the event of faults, protective metering and relay systems. Furthermore, enhanced electrical safety measures include electrical grounding systems compliant with latest industry standards and National Electrical Code for arc flash boundary and protections. Other security measures include secure badge readers, enhanced lighting, surveillance cameras, motion detection, and hardened barriers to enter any Traction Power Facility.
Where are Traction Power Facilities located and why?
Most of BART’s Traction Power Facilities are at grade level within a few hundred feet of the track and inside the footprint of a passenger station. Traction Power Substations are spaced approximately two miles apart. This close distance reduces DC voltage drop ensuring the most efficient transfer of power from the substation to the 3rd rail.
How are Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) reduced at the facilities?
Traction Power Facilities comply with California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) EMF Design guidelines for Electrical Facilities. Substation designs minimize EMF through placement of live electrical equipment in metal enclosures.
What are the noise levels associated with the Traction Power Facilities?
The noise level outside the Traction Power Facilities during operation is typically less than 55db. This is similar in volume to a household dishwasher or refrigerator.
What is the replacement schedule for Traction Power Facilities?
Most of BART’s facilities were originally installed over 50 years ago. Measure RR was passed in 2016 and BART is using Measure RR as well as seeking other available funding sources to strategically replace the aging substations.
Are there future research projects to incorporate sustainable energy or new technologies?
BART is looking into large scale energy storage devices to recover energy from train dynamic braking, enhance reliability during power outages, and lower cost for substation replacements. BART is also looking at regenerative power capturing system to convert the DC power to AC power. These solutions will occupy the same footprint as an existing substation with less maintenance, less noise, and less electrical conversion losses.
Downtown San Francisco Traction Power Substations
The two downtown San Francisco substations locations are at Civic Center & Montgomery stations. The substation equipment will be located underground on the concourse level inside the two stations. It will be located in a protected area away from the public.
Construction of the two SF substation sites will take place from starting on Spring 2021 until 2023 tentatively. The contractor will construct street-level work enclosures on Market Street at three locations near Civic Center and Montgomery Stations. Work crews will complete demolition work inside both stations, removing debris through the work enclosures at the street level. Demolition work will create space for the very large substation equipment, each weighing nearly 10 to 25 tons.
While the substations are being installed underground, crews will need to temporarily fence-off sections of the sidewalk above the installation sites to bring in the equipment necessary for the work and remove material.
Neighborhood Notices and News
BART is committed to providing neighborhood stakeholders impacted by the Downtown San Francisco Traction Power Substations with regular notices and news. Below is an archive of all neighborhood notices and news.
August 2023
January/February 2023
June 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
May 2021
April 2021
If you need language assistance services, please call BART’s Transit Information Center at (510)465-2278.
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