Debut of new BART railcars delayed again
The train’s computer system recently failed a test run
BART officials say they’ve found a fix for the problems that caused state regulators to delay approval of the transit system’s new railcars. But it could takes weeks, possibly into December, before the cars can start carrying passengers, they acknowledged Thursday.
The rail system had hoped to put its first 10 new cars into service by Thanksgiving, but on Nov. 3, a 10-car test train, with California Public Utilities Commission inspectors aboard, ran into trouble. BART’s computer system failed to recognize the length of the train, and some of the train’s doors did not open.
The commission ordered BART not to carry paying passengers until the problems were explained and fixed, and the train had passed a new test, which will involve stopping at each of the system’s 46 stations.
Paul Oversier, BART’s assistant general manager for operations, said that engineers from railcar manufacturer Bombardier and BART “want to make sure they’re going to pass the certification.”
Instead of rushing to get the cars into service, he said, BART will take the time to make sure the problems are resolved.
“I’m hopeful that, best case, that could be in November,” he said. “Worst case, next month, by Dec. 15th, at least.”
BART riders have been waiting for the new cars, which will feature three doors on each side for quicker loading and unloading, modern signage and automated announcements. The cars, which will operate as two five-car trains or one 10-car train, will also increase BART’s capacity, easing overcrowding.
This delay is just the latest setback. The first of the new cars arrived nine months late, and problems with an electrical system delayed the arrival of additional cars by several months. BART officials said in April they expected to have the trains running by June and then pushed the date back to September and then to Thanksgiving, and now even further back.
Oversier said it’s common to have to work through problems when putting new railcars on an old system.
“I know that for our riders, who could use some relief, it’s frustrating,” he said. “But we want to make sure we have good cars.”
BART never expected the cars to be perfect. The first 10 were designed to be subjected to rigorous tests to identify, and fix, problems before BART would give Bombardier permission to crank up its assembly line in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Oversier said BART expects to have about 30 new cars delivered to its Hayward yard by the end of the year. They’ll be inspected and then put into service.
BART’s $2.6 billion contract with Bombarder calls for the Canadian railcar maker to deliver about 150 new cars every year until its old fleet of 669 cars is replaced, and expanded to 775, by 2022. BART also hopes to find enough money to add another 306 cars to its fleet.