Bus Bridge Alert: Free buses replace trains between Rockridge and Lafayette April 27-28

BART crews will work around-the-clock to advance several trackway improvements near Orinda Station on the weekend of April 27-28. To create a safety environment for the team, there will be no train service between Rockridge and Lafayette stations that weekend. Instead, free buses provided by AC Transit and County Connection will move riders between Rockridge, Orinda, and Lafayette stations. Orinda Station will be closed but buses will still serve the station. Riders can expect delays of 20-30 minutes in the work area on the shutdown weekend of April 27-28.

On each night of the weekend shutdowns the last scheduled departure from Antioch to Lafayette that normally leaves at 11:54pm will be cancelled. Riders traveling westbound from Antioch must catch the earlier train at 11:34pm each night.

The work team will make the most of its time in the closed trackway. Crews will replace aging rail, install new equipment to support the traction power system, enhance lighting in the Berkeley Hills Tunnel, and advance other key improvements. The equipment being replaced is decades old and has outlived its design life. Riders will enjoy a smoother, safer, more reliable, and quieter ride once the projects are complete.

This upcoming work is part of BART's overall effort to improve the safety and reliability of the 131-mile, 50 station system. There are now more rebuilding projects happening across BART than at any point in its 50-year history. You can learn more about the progress of this work by reading the 2023 Measure RR Annual Report published by the independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee.

You can keep up with the latest updates for trackway repair projects that impact service by going to ourAlerts and Advisories page.

(This article originally published 3/13/24)