On a blustery morning, hundreds flocked to the celebration of the Warm Springs/South Fremont BART station opening,a moment that the City and community had long been waiting for.

After decades of planning and months of anticipation, Friday, March 24, marked the day when Fremont community members, journalists and reporters, transit planners, and state and city officials joined together to cut the ribbon and welcome the 46th BART station to the new end of the line.

Despite the weather (and the delay), it was a lively celebration as future riders toured the stunning facility and new Fleet of the Future trains, snatched upfree Clipper cards and keychains, enjoyed sweet treats from Three Twins Ice Cream, and heard from various speakers, including Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Senator Jim Beall (Chair, Senate Transportation Committee), Senator Bob Wieckowski, Assembly Member Kansen Chu, and Oakland City Council Member Rebecca Kaplan (Chair of the ACTC).

As a City, we couldn’t be more proud of this milestone.

The Warm Springs/South Fremont BART station will provide much-needed relief to the 880 corridor. And the surrounding land is ripe for opportunity, thanks to the City’s planned transit-oriented employment center, the Warm Springs Innovation District. The Warm Springs Innovation District is anticipated to create:

  • 20,000 new jobs
  • 4,000 housing units
  • Up to 11.6 million square feet of commercial and office space

This five-mile extension paves the way for BART to continue moving south to Silicon Valley as the Milpitas and Berryessa stations prepare to open in late 2017.

Not only does our new station have an exceptional design aesthetic featuring an art glass installation by Catherine Widgery, it’s also green. In addition to 42 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations, solar panels will provide more than enough energy to meet the daily needs of the station, and bioswales will filter silt and pollutants from runoff water.

The first train departed the station at 5:48 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, and the station is now open for public use. Jog, scooter, or rideshare over to be one of the first to hop aboard BART at the Warm Springs

For key facts and figures about the new station, check out our infographic.

Below is a slideshow with photos from the day.