The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $544.6 million loan to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District through the Build America Bureau for 775 new passenger railcars.
The new railcars are part of a $2.2 billion expansion and upgrade of the entire BART system, which operates 48 million passenger trips annually. They feature many accessibility and safety improvements, including LED screens to provide improved customer information, digital cameras to enhance security and crime prevention, and three doors for entry and exit compared to the previous two.
Due to a revised production schedule and accelerated monthly delivery rate of the new railcars, completed in September, the project is expected to save up to $394 million overall compared to original budget estimates. Additionally, by financing the cost of the rail cars, officials said BART could use other capital funds to invest in a new Police Department Headquarters.
