Following California’s complete economic reopening and the state’s move beyond COVID-19 restrictions, BART announced Thursday that it would be returning to near pre-pandemic services Aug. 2 —a change from its original Aug. 30 transition date.
In anticipation of the return, BART announced that from July 15 to July 31, it will also be scheduling late-night limited trains leaving San Francisco at 11:30 p.m. The four trains will serve nine stations on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for the purpose of giving late-night workers and city-goers transportation options prior to the transition.
Departing from either Embarcadero or Civic Center, the trains will offer service to stations located at 16th Street Mission, Daly City in San Francisco and West Oakland, MacArthur, Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito del Norte and the East Bay.
“The interim limited service is a plan BART can accomplish as it readies staff for the much more robust schedule change beginning August 2,” a BART press release reads.
As of Aug. 2, closing times for BART stations will be extended to midnight Monday through Saturday, according to the press release.
Weekday service will be 5 a.m. to midnight with 15-minute frequencies from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 30-minute frequencies from 8 p.m. to midnight. Saturday service will be 6 a.m. to midnight with 5-line service. For the first time, BART will be offering four trains per hour on most Saturday lines.
In order to accommodate BART’s infrastructure projects, Sunday service will remain at 8 a.m. t0 9 p.m. with 3-line service and 30-minute frequencies.
“BART was able to advance the major schedule change by working collaboratively with labor partners to accelerate the hiring, training, and shift sign-up process,” the press release reads.
