New BART Substation Boosts Power and Reliability in Downtown San Francisco

BART has completed a major infrastructure milestone with the construction and activation of a new traction power substation at its Civic Center Station, the first new core system substation since the network's original build in the 1960s.

The facility, energized in late April, increases available power for train operations in San Francisco by nearly 18%, enhancing service reliability and operational flexibility. The substation is part of BART's Transbay Corridor Core Capacity Program (TCCCP), which aims to increase train frequency through the Transbay Tube.

"This is a great feat," said Myat San, BART's Chief Infrastructure Delivery Officer. "We've replaced substations before, but never built one within an existing station."

The project, located beneath Market Street, faced logistical challenges due to its brownfield status. Massive components were lowered through a 15-by-15-foot hatch using a 106-foot crane. Construction took place mostly during the system's limited overnight downtime, known as "the blanket."

Javed Khan, Group Manager, Capital Projects, emphasized the substation's modern features, including real-time monitoring and diagnostics. The new facility will help prevent and respond to system faults more quickly.

The Civic Center substation is the first of five new facilities under the TCCCP. A second substation at Montgomery St. Station is nearing completion.

Source: bart.gov