San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has completed a track construction and repair project between Daly City and Balboa Park stations two weeks ahead of schedule. The project was initially slated to cover seven weekends of repair work. All weekend service has now been restored.
Weekend shutdowns allowed workers to replace worn rail near Balboa Park, as well as reconstruct a crossover. This crossover is being finished during regular maintenance hours and will likely go into regular service in early October. Crews also installed sound dampers through the area. These will reduce vibration from the trains running overhead, which will help quiet screeching rails.
If crews had not been able to work for the five weekends, the repairs would have taken more than four months, and some of the work would not have been possible.
The project included replacing more than 4,000 feet of rail and 930 old wooden ties; installing 2,800 dampers; reconfiguring power systems; rebuilding a local portion of the train control system; laying 1,600 feet of cable; and removing five dead or dying trees, which threatened to obstruct the right-of-way.
BART has budgeted $71.5 million for core system reinvestment. Much of its infrastructure, such as rails, power transmission cabling, substations, tunnels, and track circuitry, has deteriorated to the point of needing replacement. BART has placed Bond Measure RR on November’s presidential ballot. If voters approve, Bond Measure RR would be dedicated to helping pay for the cost of capital improvements such as rail replacement.