Bus Bridge Alert: Free buses replace trains between Rockridge and Lafayette April 27-28
BART crews will work around the clock to advance several trackway improvements near Orinda Station on the weekend of April 27-28. To create a safe environment for the team, there will be no train service between Rockridge and Lafayette stations that weekend. Instead, free buses provided by AC Transit and County Connection will move riders between Rockridge, Orinda, and Lafayette stations. Orinda Station will be closed but buses will still serve the station. Riders can expect delays of 20-30 minutes in the work area on the shutdown weekend of April 27-28.
Bus service for bicyclists
In addition to the original bus bridge service plan, AC Transit will be providing their longer, articulated buses to carry bicyclists to Orinda Station Saturday morning. The longer buses will accommodate any bikes that don't fit on regular County Connection buses. The additional AC Transit buses will operate between Rockridge, Orinda, and Lafayette from 6-7:30am Saturday. There will be both 40 foot and 60 foot buses that will be serving Rockridge and Lafayette all day. Both types of buses will allow bikes inside and on the racks. We will fill the 40 foot buses first because they were already scheduled to go to Orinda. Anytime those fill up and we need more capacity, we will fill a 60 foot bus with bikes and have it make a stop at Orinda. Those buses will be available all day, if necessary.
Additional service impacts
On each night of the weekend shutdowns the last scheduled departure from Antioch to Lafayette that normally leaves at 11:54pm will be cancelled. Riders traveling westbound from Antioch must catch the earlier train at 11:34pm each night.
The work team will make the most of its time in the closed trackway. Crews will replace aging rail, install new equipment to support the traction power system, enhance lighting in the Berkeley Hills Tunnel, and advance other key improvements. 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.
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 2023 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 our Alerts and Advisories page. BART’s Trip Planner has been improved to show the full customer journey including bus bridges.
(This article originally published 3/13/24)
