Bombardier Transportation assembles BART Fleet of the Future rail cars

Bombardier Transportation is opening a rail car assembly site in Pittsburg, Calif., to assemble Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) Fleet of the Future rail cars.

The work is taking place in upstate New York, and officials said the rail cars will be transferred to the Bay Area in the months ahead.

The new facility is expected to employ local workers, contribute tax dollars to the local economy and—due to its proximity to BART’s Hayward Test Track—reduce the vehicle emissions needed to transport the cars to BART property.

Officials stated that what was previously a 3,600-mile journey home to the Bay Area will now be a 50-mile commute.

“The Fleet of the Future cars have received rave reviews from our riders and we are thrilled to welcome Bombardier to the Bay Area,” said BART General Manager Grace Crunican.

Bombardier received the contract to replace BART’s aging fleet with 775 Fleet of the Future cars in May of 2012, representatives explained.

“We are pleased that the new rail cars for Bay Area passengers will now be produced in the Bay Area by Bay Area citizens, said Elliot Sander, president, Americas Division, Bombardier Transportation.