BART Plaform "Assignments" over the years at MacArthur Station
Here’s the best I can do from some notes lying around:
Historical notes: 12th and 19th St only had the C1 and C2 tracks built at the time of opening day. The C3 track was hidden behind a wall and was basically a trackway without rails.
K25 interlocking was a simple interlocking allowing trains on the C1 track to use the C1 or C3 platform at MacArthur. And trains departing MacArthur tracks C2 and C4 to use the C2 track to 19th St. It was not the complex layout seen today with a K23 interlocking and bigger K25 interlocking. More about that construction is at https://bartcars.weebly.com/ke-track.html
MacArthur was built with all 4 platforms/tracks and designed as the system’s major transfer station.
Historical notes: 12th and 19th St only had the C1 and C2 tracks built at the time of opening day. The C3 track was hidden behind a wall and was basically a trackway without rails.
K25 interlocking was a simple interlocking allowing trains on the C1 track to use the C1 or C3 platform at MacArthur. And trains departing MacArthur tracks C2 and C4 to use the C2 track to 19th St. It was not the complex layout seen today with a K23 interlocking and bigger K25 interlocking. More about that construction is at https://bartcars.weebly.com/ke-track.html
MacArthur was built with all 4 platforms/tracks and designed as the system’s major transfer station.
Operational rule of thumb:
Pre 9/11/1972 – ATC Testing, trains moving around here and there.
9/11/1972 – System opens from MacArthur to Fremont. Trains from Fremont enter Platform 3 out of service. Proceed to K35 TM Zones, change ends, and run to MacArthur Platform 4. Enters service as a Fremont bound train, continue south to Fremont.
1/29/1973 – R line opens from MacArthur to Richmond. Trains continue onwards Fremont-Richmond.
5/21/1973 – C line opens from MacArthur to Concord.
Platform 2: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 4: Generally not used.
Platform 3: Concord-MacArthur line
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond.
CPUC mandated BART to not merge lines due to concerns over ATC. This was a multi-year process to solve that.
9/16/1974 – Transbay Service Begins.
Seems a bit more fluid on track assignments than what happens today, but for 9/16/1974, there are pictures of the following:
Platform 2: Concord-Daly City
Platform 4: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 3: Daly City-Concord
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond
From time to time, the tracks not generally used for revenue service would be used to park broken down trains. Back in 1975, one such train was parked and the trail car (without operational friction brakes) was uncoupled for troubleshooting with a chock placed two feet away from the wheel. And the car rolled all the way down from K35 (2% grade) to the wye.
c. 1978/1979 – Close Headways – Fremont or SF bound trains use either platform 2 or 4, depending on who arrives first. Total passenger reliance on using destination signs, PA announcements. Appears to have this general chaotic approach to southbound traffic through the 1980s.
6/1/1983 – KE track construction, Platform 3 closed.
Platform 2: Concord-Daly City, Richmond-Daly City
Platform 4: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 3:
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond, Daly City-Concord, Daly City-Richmond
KE Track Opens – 3/17/1986 - The KE track was initially planned to be used for Concord line trains during peak commute, in peak commute direction. From 7:00 am to 8:15 am, the Concord-SF/Daly City trains would use the KE track heading towards SF, making stops at 19th and 12th St stations upper level platform 3. After the AM commute, these trains would use platform 2 on the lower level (shared by other trains heading to SF/Daly City and Fremont). From around 4:15 pm to 6:00 pm, the Daly City – Concord line trains would use the KE track while heading to Concord. At all other times and the opposite direction of peak commute, trains would use track 2 heading to SF/Daly City and track 1 heading to Concord.
By early to mid 1990s: Appears to have the current arrangement of:
Platform 2: Richmond-Fremont, Richmond-Daly City
Platform 4: Concord-Daly City
Platform 3: Daly City-Concord,
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond, Daly City-Richmond
Pre 9/11/1972 – ATC Testing, trains moving around here and there.
9/11/1972 – System opens from MacArthur to Fremont. Trains from Fremont enter Platform 3 out of service. Proceed to K35 TM Zones, change ends, and run to MacArthur Platform 4. Enters service as a Fremont bound train, continue south to Fremont.
1/29/1973 – R line opens from MacArthur to Richmond. Trains continue onwards Fremont-Richmond.
5/21/1973 – C line opens from MacArthur to Concord.
Platform 2: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 4: Generally not used.
Platform 3: Concord-MacArthur line
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond.
CPUC mandated BART to not merge lines due to concerns over ATC. This was a multi-year process to solve that.
9/16/1974 – Transbay Service Begins.
Seems a bit more fluid on track assignments than what happens today, but for 9/16/1974, there are pictures of the following:
Platform 2: Concord-Daly City
Platform 4: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 3: Daly City-Concord
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond
From time to time, the tracks not generally used for revenue service would be used to park broken down trains. Back in 1975, one such train was parked and the trail car (without operational friction brakes) was uncoupled for troubleshooting with a chock placed two feet away from the wheel. And the car rolled all the way down from K35 (2% grade) to the wye.
c. 1978/1979 – Close Headways – Fremont or SF bound trains use either platform 2 or 4, depending on who arrives first. Total passenger reliance on using destination signs, PA announcements. Appears to have this general chaotic approach to southbound traffic through the 1980s.
6/1/1983 – KE track construction, Platform 3 closed.
Platform 2: Concord-Daly City, Richmond-Daly City
Platform 4: Richmond-Fremont
Platform 3:
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond, Daly City-Concord, Daly City-Richmond
KE Track Opens – 3/17/1986 - The KE track was initially planned to be used for Concord line trains during peak commute, in peak commute direction. From 7:00 am to 8:15 am, the Concord-SF/Daly City trains would use the KE track heading towards SF, making stops at 19th and 12th St stations upper level platform 3. After the AM commute, these trains would use platform 2 on the lower level (shared by other trains heading to SF/Daly City and Fremont). From around 4:15 pm to 6:00 pm, the Daly City – Concord line trains would use the KE track while heading to Concord. At all other times and the opposite direction of peak commute, trains would use track 2 heading to SF/Daly City and track 1 heading to Concord.
By early to mid 1990s: Appears to have the current arrangement of:
Platform 2: Richmond-Fremont, Richmond-Daly City
Platform 4: Concord-Daly City
Platform 3: Daly City-Concord,
Platform 1: Fremont-Richmond, Daly City-Richmond
