BART wants rider input for service on Warm Springs extension | abc7news.com
The agency is weighing a series of proposals about which lines will be extended from the current terminal in Fremont to its new southern terminal in Warm Springs. One of the proposals also affects riders in San Francisco.
This is about logical lines, train routings, as opposed to physical lines, the tracks, to use some computer terminology. Currently, the two lines that go to Fremont are Fremont - Richmond and Fremont - SF. They may be extending only one of them to Warm Springs, most likely the Richmond one, the one active on Sundays and holidays.
Reading the staff planning reports and the "METRO CORE" intent for the future service pattern changes - 2015 - 2025; in addition to the car availability requirement needed for the increase in "Peak Hour" train lengths, the probable "Favored" service pattern will be:
M - F system opening until post PM peak: Warm Springs - 24th St Mission (Green Line), otherwise, Warm Springs - Richmond (Orange Line).
Saturday: Warm Springs - 24th St Mission (Green Line) opening -7PM. Warm Springs -Richmond (Orange Line) after 7 PM
Sunday, Holidays: Warm Springs - Richmond
You see the change in San Francisco service: Green Line no longer serves Glen Park, Balboa Park and Daly City. The elimination of these stations allows the expansion to Warm Springs with no additional trainsets required, which is a big deal as there are so few "spares" for service that BART would have to SHORTEN trains in order to cover the extension. The METRO CORE in San Francisco - 24th St to Embarcadero would retain 4 lines, while the remaining 3 stations would still have 3 line coverage.
If you read that document, you will find that Richmond - Fremont service is definitely planned to be curtailed south of Oakland in the future, with Warm Springs - SF becoming the full time line south of Coliseum/Bay Fair. There are also plans to COMBINE off peak/night trains and split them at Bay Fair - 5 cars to Dublin, 5 cars to Warm Springs; with the meeting and joining in the reverse direction at Bay Fair. This will end up providing direct service SF- Warm Sands for all Bart operating hours.
We will have to see what develops, but in December Warm Sands opens.