C1 Cars

C1 Cars
Car No: 301-450; Built: 1985, 1987-1989; Service: 1988-Present; Builder: Alstom

By the mid-late 1970s, it was apparent that BART needed more B cars, and that BART required more time to change train lengths than desireable. The former problem was addressed with the A to B car (800 series) program, while the latter required an entirely new car design, the C car.

318 at Fruitvale

Midtrain Cs

The C car design allows for these cars to be used as lead, trailing, or mid cars. This was contrasted to the original Rohr built fleet of A and B cars, of which were only to be used in lead/trailing and midtrain position respectively.

C cars allowed for train resizing (makes/breaks) outside of yards. Traditionally, long trains ran in the commute periods and short trains ran during off peak periods. Before C cars, trains had to return to the yard to add or remove B cars, resulting in additional time and operator requirements. With C cars, trains can be lengthed (a procedure called a "make") while at the station platform, and can be shortened by uncoupling 2 C cars, splitting a train into two pieces (a procedure called a "break"). This type of operation allowed for greater flexibility in train sizes.

Their French heritage can still be seen with the builders plate: "ALSTHOM: Raismes, France."

The contract in October 1982 was originally at $180 Million (44 million less than the only US Bidder, Budd), however it was increased to $228-241.5 million by 1985-1987. At the time, they were the world's most expensive transit units.

The first 4 C cars, 301-304(1st) were all prototypes used to test/burn-in the C car design. They were built in 1985.

After testing, they were scrapped. They were replaced with production cars in the late 1980s, of the same fleet number.

Production cars, 301-304 (2nd), and 305-450 were built between 1987 and 1989 at 3377 Western Avenue, Union City, CA.

Carbodies were constructed in France, but 2/3 of the car was US made, including Westinghouse traction motors and Knorr dynamic brakes. They entered service over the course of three years, 1987/1988 - 1990.

Before the C2 cars, the C1 cars were originally known as C cars. In the later years, the Alstom C1 and Morrison Knudsen C2 cars are together as known C cars. Occasionally though, C1 cars will be referred to as "C cars" while the C2s will be referred to as "C2 cars" (in the same sentence).

In June 2020, during the early COVID-related service cuts, about 1/3 (50) of the roughly 150 remaining cars were left in service. As of December 2021, about 35 of the 150 car C1 fleet has been scrapped. About 90 were available for revenue service.

Quite a few C1 cars had ad wraps. See the Ad Wraps page to view more about these colorful BART cars.

C1 375 berthed at West Oakland station.

Interior of C1 327

As of September 2022, 40 C1 cars are available for revenue service, including those in the shops. About 21 C1 cars are out on weekdays. Over 90 C1 cars have been scrapped. Now is the time to get your rides/photos/videos/recordings of these cars.

10/22 update: Cars personally seen in revenue service are denoted by the green statement "Active as of [month]."

Plans call for their eventual retirement sooner than the Rohr A2 and B2 cars. This will likely occur in Spring 2023.

With their chopper control, it was hard to mistake the sound of a C car propelling itself out of the station (the steady buzz/hum of the chopper control system and swoosh sound of the motors).

General Details

Builder: Alsthom/Soferval (Alstom)
Original Assembly Location: Raismes, France (Prototypes), Union City, CA (Production cars)
Years of Construction: 1985 (Prototypes), 1987-1990 (Production cars)
Quantity: 150
Length: 70 feet
Weight (Empty): 63,500 lbs
Seats: 64 (Original), 56 (Current)
Propulsion: Westinghouse DC Chopper drive with 4 x 150 HP Westinghouse Model 1463 motors (motors built under subcontract in Manchester, England by GEC)
Brakes: Knorr dynamic/regenerative to 3 mph, Hydraulic friction braking below 3 mph.
Auxiliary Power Supply Equipment (APSE): Bombardier
HVAC: Wabco, 14 ton
Truck: Fabricated Steel (welded steel plate)
Electronic Horn: Federal Signal
Coupler: Wabco N3
Preventative Maintenance: Every 600 hours
Cost: $228 Million
Avg mileage: 3.0 Million miles

301-304 (1st) - Prototypes

Production Cars

Click on each photo to view the full size image.
All details subject to change due to legacy fleet decommissioning process.

301-325

301 - Scrapped
302 - Lead car in Inaugural Run of the C car, 3/28/1988 Fremont-Daly City. Scrapped 3/23/2022
303 - Scrapped. Had a dent from a collision in a yard.
304 - Scrapped 10/22/2021. Car number seen in Predator 2
305 - Active as of 10/22. Ex Zoho One Ad wrap, Fox, and Alaska Airlines.
306 - Scrapped. First production C1 car, final assembly in Union City.
307 - Scrapped
308 - Scrapped
309 - Active as of 11/22
310 - Scrapped 3/18/2022
311 - Active as of 9/22
312 - Scrapped 2/25/2021
313 - Scrapped 7/2/2021
314 - Active as of 12/22. Ex Zoho One Ad wrap.
315 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
316 - Scrapped. Major damage to X end in Dec 17, 92 derailment. Missing end cap on X right end.
317 - Scrapped
318 - Scrapped
319 - Scrapped
320 - Scrapped
321 - scrapped
322 - Active as of 10/22
323 - Retired. Now serves as Hayward Fire Department trainer on Winton Ave, next to Hayward Airport - 2/23/23.
324 - scrapped
325 - scrapped

326-350

326 - Scrapped
327 - Scrapped. Slightly damaged, stored c. 2018-2019. Repaired and re-entered service in 2020.
328 - Active as of 1/23
329 - Active as of 10/22
330 - Scrapped
331 - scrapped
332 - Scrapped
333 - Active as of 1/23 Dirty car, due to ad residue
334 - Active as of 1/23
336 - Scrapped
337 - Scrapped
338 - Active as of 1/23
339 - Active as of 1/23
340 - Scrapped
341 - scrapped
342 - scrapped
343 - Active as of 1/23. Dirty car, due to ad residue from previous Zoho One Ad wrap. Missing Y right side car number plate
344 - scrapped
345 - Scrapped. CB1 car
346 - Scrapped
347 - Scrapped
348 - Active as of 12/22. Ex Zoho One Ad wrap.
349 - Active as of 10/22
350 - Active as of 11/22

351-375

351 - Scrapped
352 - Active as of 10/22 Ex Zoho One Ad wrap.
353 - scrapped
354 - Active as of 12/22
355 - scrapped
356 - "Burrito Bob" incident car
357 - Active as of 12/22.
358 - Scrapped
359 - Scrapped
360 - Scrapped
361 - Active as of 1/23. Missing Y end right side number plate, 12/22. Has two 1990s ads inside, X end.
363 - Active as of 10/22
364 - scrapped
365 - Active as of 1/23
366 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
367 - Zoho One Ad wrap.
368 - Scrapped
369 - Scrapped
370 - Scrapped
371 - Scrapped
372 - Smoke incident under car, Orinda, 10/23/2013. Scrapped.
374 - scrapped

375-400

375 - scrapped
376 - Active as of 1/23
377 - Scrapped
378 - Scrapped. Upside down 8 on exterior car number, X end
379 - Active as of 1/23
380 - Active as of 3/23
381 - Scrapped. CB1 car. Zoho One Ad wrap.
382 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
383 - Scrapped
384 - Scrapped
385 - Active as of 11/22
386 - Scrapped
388 - Scrapped. Last active circa 8/22. "Dirty '88" - Grimy exterior (bad finishing?) for at least the past decade.
389 - Scrapped. CB1 car
390 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
391 - Scrapped. Dirty car, due to ad residue
392 - Scrapped. Missing car number plate, replacement car number decals below pinstripes.
393 - Scrapped
394 - Active as of 1/23
395 - Scrapped
396 - Scrapped
397 - Rear car of train involved in accident on Oct 19, 2013. Scrapped
398 - Scrapped
399 - scrapped

401-425

400 - Scrapped? Active as of 10/22?
401 - scrapped
402 - Active as of 12/22
403 - scrapped
404 - Error: car not found (scrapped)
405 - Active as of 11/22
406 - Scrapped
407 - scrapped
408 - Scrapped
409 - scrapped
410 - Scrapped. Ex RM 2 Demonstration car
411 - Scrapped
412 - scrapped
413 - scrapped
414 - Active as of 12/22
415 - Active as of 12/22
416 - Active as of 10/22 Car number seen in Predator 2
417 - Active as of 1/23 Zoho One Ad wrap, remaining as of 1/23.
418 - Scrapped. Zaytoven Presents Fo 15 Ad wrap.
419 - scrapped
420 - scrapped
421 - Active as of 11/22. Ex Zoho One Ad wrap.
422 - scrapped
423 - Active as of 11/22
424 - Active as of 10/22
425 - Scrapped

426-450

426 - Scrapped
427 - Scrapped Kaiser Ad wrap.
428 - scrapped
429 - scrapped
430 - Scrapped
431 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
432 - Active as of 11/22
433 - Scrapped
434 - Scrapped
435 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
436 - Scrapped
437 - Scrapped. Zoho One Ad wrap.
438 - Scrapped
439 - Scrapped. CB1 car
440 - Active as of 1/23. Black patch on Y end, right front side.
441 - Scrapped
442 - Scrapped
443 - Scrapped
444 - Scrapped
445 - Scrapped
446 - Scrapped
447 - Scrapped
448 - Scrapped
449 - Active as of 1/23
450 - Scrapped. On display at Colma groundbreaking