BART/Southern Pacific Railroad “Fast Trak” commuter rail timetable – September 20, 1993
In 1993, during the San Francisco Bay Area’s “Beat the Back-Up Week” – an effort by transit agencies to get more people out of their cars and onto public transportation - BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and the Southern Pacific Railroad teamed-up to operate demonstration commuter trains on routes from Oakland to Suisun City and Brentwood. The result of this effort was called “Fast Trak”.
Using borrowed Metrolink train equipment from Los Angeles, the trains operated during morning and afternoon peak commute times. The trains served existing Amtrak stops and the remainder of the stations were temporary ones established just for this service.
In order to make the service attractive to passengers travelling to/from San Francisco, connections to other transit services were vital. The existing Amtrak Richmond station was already served by BART and in West Oakland (foot of Kirkham Street), a small asphalt platform was constructed so that passengers could connect with BART at its West Oakland station – although there was a bit of distance between the two and not very walkable (the timetable notes there was a shuttle service available). Finally, at the terminus in Oakland (Clay Street in Jack London Square), an easy connection could be made to the San Francisco ferry.
I don’t know how successful or not the service proved to be, but it never developed into a permanent thing. The only thing that has some resemblance is today’s Amtrak Capitol Corridor route (begun in 1991) which commuters do use between Suisun City and the Bay Area. As far as the Brentwood route is concerned, BART stretches out as far as Pittsburg and a new connecting diesel light rail train is under construction between there and Antioch. An extension to Brentwood has been mentioned but it’ll probably be a very long time before it ever happens. The Amtrak San Joaquin trains serve Antioch but they are not a commuter service.
Regarding the platform at West Oakland (Kirkham Street) –
Even though the commuter service never came to fruition, this was on the route of the Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains. It was planned to have those trains stop there and at one point, Amtrak even listed this stop in a timetable with a “coming soon” remark. That however, never happened due to a redevelopment of the area which saw a realigned Interstate Highway 880 built through the area, obliterating that stretch of Kirkham Street, thus severing the connection with BART. Today (2018) the Amtrak maintenance facility/yard occupies the property just south of the freeway where the temporary station once stood.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Antioch -
Current online mapping (aerial satellite imagery) reveals that the temporary asphalt platform is still standing here! On Slatten Ranch Road, just east of Hillcrest Avenue, across the street from the Antioch Park & Ride lot.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Brentwood -
Current online mapping (aerial satellite imagery) reveals that the temporary asphalt platform is still standing here! On Walnut Blvd, just south of the Oak Street RR crossing.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Benicia -
The most likely location of this "station" is the present day Marsh, Milepost 38 on the Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision.
BART/Southern Pacific Railroad “Fast Trak” commuter rail timetable – September 20, 1993
In 1993, during the San Francisco Bay Area’s “Beat the Back-Up Week” – an effort by transit agencies to get more people out of their cars and onto public transportation - BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and the Southern Pacific Railroad teamed-up to operate demonstration commuter trains on routes from Oakland to Suisun City and Brentwood. The result of this effort was called “Fast Trak”.
Using borrowed Metrolink train equipment from Los Angeles, the trains operated during morning and afternoon peak commute times. The trains served existing Amtrak stops and the remainder of the stations were temporary ones established just for this service.
In order to make the service attractive to passengers travelling to/from San Francisco, connections to other transit services were vital. The existing Amtrak Richmond station was already served by BART and in West Oakland (foot of Kirkham Street), a small asphalt platform was constructed so that passengers could connect with BART at its West Oakland station – although there was a bit of distance between the two and not very walkable (the timetable notes there was a shuttle service available). Finally, at the terminus in Oakland (Clay Street in Jack London Square), an easy connection could be made to the San Francisco ferry.
I don’t know how successful or not the service proved to be, but it never developed into a permanent thing. The only thing that has some resemblance is today’s Amtrak Capitol Corridor route (begun in 1991) which commuters do use between Suisun City and the Bay Area. As far as the Brentwood route is concerned, BART stretches out as far as Pittsburg and a new connecting diesel light rail train is under construction between there and Antioch. An extension to Brentwood has been mentioned but it’ll probably be a very long time before it ever happens. The Amtrak San Joaquin trains serve Antioch but they are not a commuter service.
Regarding the platform at West Oakland (Kirkham Street) –
Even though the commuter service never came to fruition, this was on the route of the Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains. It was planned to have those trains stop there and at one point, Amtrak even listed this stop in a timetable with a “coming soon” remark. That however, never happened due to a redevelopment of the area which saw a realigned Interstate Highway 880 built through the area, obliterating that stretch of Kirkham Street, thus severing the connection with BART. Today (2018) the Amtrak maintenance facility/yard occupies the property just south of the freeway where the temporary station once stood.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Antioch -
Current online mapping (aerial satellite imagery) reveals that the temporary asphalt platform is still standing here! On Slatten Ranch Road, just east of Hillcrest Avenue, across the street from the Antioch Park & Ride lot.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Brentwood -
Current online mapping (aerial satellite imagery) reveals that the temporary asphalt platform is still standing here! On Walnut Blvd, just south of the Oak Street RR crossing.
UPDATE: Regarding the stop at Benicia -
The most likely location of this "station" is the present day Marsh, Milepost 38 on the Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision.