eBART (East Contra Costa BART Extension) is an under-construction diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail branch line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in eastern Contra Costa County, California, United States. Service will start at the existing Pittsburg/Bay Point station and extend to Antioch station.
eBART tracks and trains are incompatible with those of the main BART rapid transit system, making it impossible for trains to move between the two systems; instead, passengers will transfer via a cross platform interchange at an auxiliary BART stop at Pittsburg/Bay Point - the eBART platform will be accessible only via an intra-station ride from the main station to this auxiliary stop. The first extension proceeds 10.1 miles (16.3 kilometres) east along the State Route 4 corridor to the city of Antioch at a Hillcrest Avenue station. Revenue service is projected to begin by May 2018.
The line has been colored yellow in BART materials released prior to the commencement of service.
Video EBART
History
Planning
For further extension into Contra Costa County and to extend the Pittsburg/Bay Point-SFO/Millbrae line, the DMU system was chosen as an alternative to the existing BART infrastructure because it was both less expensive to implement and would more easily allow further extensions.
Initial plans had trains utilizing the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way that runs parallel to State Route 4. After Union Pacific declined to grant trackage rights or allow laying of new tracks, the line was merged with a construction project already in the process of widening the adjacent freeway, by laying tracks in its median. Construction of the Railroad Avenue station in Pittsburg had been uncertain as planning and construction progressed but has since been fully funded by the city and will open with the rest of the extension.
Funding and construction
A sales tax increase was approved by Contra Costa voters in 2004 in order to fund the expansion. The expansion was approved by the BART board in April 2009. Costs were set at $463 million, compared to an estimated $1.2 billion for full BART buildout. On October 14, 2010, BART issued a press release announcing that the agency had awarded a $26 million contract to West Bay Builders, of Novato, California, "to build the transfer platform and make some of the necessary rail improvements to begin extending the line to a terminus station at Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch."
Construction began in early 2011. Funding for the Pittsburg station was secured in early 2015, and the station will open with commencement of operations.
Future
While not fully planned or funded as of 2017, expansions of the DMU system could connect eBART service to Oakley, Byron, or the Brentwood Transit Center in Brentwood.
Maps EBART
Stations
All eBART stations are in Contra Costa County.
Rolling stock
Trains servicing the line include eight Stadler GTW coupled pairs. The first were delivered in June 2016, and the agency has two options to procure six more sets. The Stadler GTW trains are diesel multiple units with 2/6 articulated power units, and are based on models previously used in Austin (Capital MetroRail), Denton (A-train), and New Jersey (River Line).
See also
- Light rail in the United States
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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