Bus bridge alert: Free buses replace trains between Rockridge and Lafayette stations Presidents Day weekend (2/18-20)
BART’s next round of major trackway repairs will focus on the Yellow Line in the East Bay, which is the busiest in the BART system. The upcoming work is made possible by voter-approved Measure RR, which is providing $3.5 billion to rebuild BART’s core infrastructure.
Over President’s Day weekend, February 18-20, 2023, BART crews will work around the clock to replace 7,200 feet of worn rail between the Rockridge, Orinda, and Lafayette stations. Free buses will replace trains on that stretch of track all three days of the holiday weekend. Riders should expect 30-minute delays in that portion of the system. Also, Yellow Line trains will run every 30 minutes that weekend. On Monday, the service will begin at 6am, similar to a Saturday. However, some trips will be cancelled, so check the trip planner to see when your train will arrive. On each night of the holiday weekend the last scheduled departure from Antioch to Lafayette/Orinda that normally leaves at 11:44pm will be cancelled. Riders traveling westbound from Antioch must catch the earlier train at 11:14pm on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night.
In addition to the work on Presidents Day weekend, on five non-consecutive weekends in April, May and June workers will replace an interlocking between the Rockridge and Orinda stations. Interlockings allow BART to safely move trains from line to line and are an essential part of the system. Free buses will replace train service at the Rockridge and Orinda stations on all five weekends. The tentative weekend dates for this project are April 1-2, April 15-16, May 13-14, May 27-29 (Memorial Day weekend), and June 10-11. Riders can expect delays of 30 minutes in the work area.
The equipment being replaced is decades old and has outlived its design life. Riders will enjoy a smoother, safer, more reliable, and quieter ride once the projects are complete. The Yellow Line is the busiest in the BART system.
This upcoming work is part of BART’s overall effort to improve the safety and reliability of the 131-mile, 50 station system. There are now more rebuilding projects happening across BART than at any point in its 50-year history. You can learn more about the progress of this work by reading the 2022 Measure RR Annual Report published by the independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee.
You can keep up with the latest updates for trackway repair projects that impact service by going to https://www.bart.gov/schedules/advisories. BART’s Trip Planner has been improved to show the full customer journey of bus bridges. The Trip Planner will show the bus bridge on work weekends.
(example of Trip Planner on bus bridge weekend below)
