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ANTIOCH — The long-awaited BART extension to Hillcrest Station in Antioch will finally start up on Saturday, but a special ribbon-cutting on Friday morning will give transit-enthusiasts a sneak preview.
The price tag for the 10-mile extension came out to $525 million, which is 60 percent less than the price of extending the full BART line.
The savings came from using new “diesel multiple unit” trains, which are self-propelled that will use biofuel diesel produced from sources such as vegetable oil. A conventional BART train needs an electrified third rail to propel the car.
The new trains will have digital signs, automated audio announcements and air conditioning. It’s estimated that the trains will replace 56 million vehicle miles per year upon opening and up to 99 million by 2030.
The new eBART trains can fit 104 people sitting down and 96 standing and will be able to transport 2,400 people per hour from Antioch to the transfer platform at Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station in around 10 minutes. Trains coming from the Pittsburg Center station at Railroad Avenue will take three minutes to arrive at the transfer platform.
From the transfer platform, commuters will exit the train, walk a total of 28 steps tojump on a BART train.
The cost from Antioch to Embarcadero will be $7.50 and to 12th Street/Oakland will be $5.70. The Pittsburg Center Station will have 240 parking stalls and the Antioch station will have 1,006 parking stalls — with 370 under the shade of solar panels. It will cost $3 to park for a day and $105 for a month-long permit.
The first chance for the public to test the new vehicles will be at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Antioch station east of Hillcrest Avenue on Friday at 11 a.m. The rides will run from the Antioch station to the transfer platform in Pittsburg and the Tri-Delta Transit’s 300 bus will run back.
The first official train to leave Antioch’s station will be at 5:43 a.m. on Saturday.
Unfortunately, any East County riders trying to reach Oakland or San Francisco will have to disembark at the Concord station and take a free shuttle to the Pleasant Hill station due to maintenance work. The work will start Saturday morning and continue through Memorial Day.
