Opportunity
BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, can take a rider from San Francisco International Airport, across the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge, and clockwise around the bay through Oakland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward, and Union City.
But it stops short in Fremont, forcing riders bound for San Jose to use other means of transport. BART’s Warm Springs Extension project, a major step toward closing that gap, adds 5.4 miles (8.7 kilometers) of new track from the existing Fremont station to a new station in Warm Springs.
Solution
Mott MacDonald was retained to carry out the Systems Integration Test Program Plan, ensuring that the extension will perform as expected. Testing includes systems for communication, automatic train control, traction power, electrical, mechanical, fire detection, fare collection, and CCTV systems.
Outcome
Construction of the Warm Springs Extension began in 2009, and the extension and the new Warm Springs/South Fremont station opened in 2017. The Warm Springs station, a 34-acre multimodal transit hub, offers seven bus bays, 2,000 parking places, and an iconic glass rotunda.
In 2018 the BART Warm Springs Extension Project was named “Project of the Year” by the California Transportation Foundation, out of more than 90 projects nominated.
The Warm Springs Extension reduces traffic congestion by shortening the travel distance for connecting transit services. The extension is expected to increase transit ridership by 7,200 daily trips by 2025.