BART has been teasing riders with mock-ups and renderings ever since the Fleet of the Future was announced back in 2012. Now the transit agency is ready to unveil their final working model of the new train cars, which are expected to roll out in 2017.

The new Bombardier-built cars feature better cooling systems for those hot Orinda nights, padded and cleanable seats, easy-to-read digital BART maps with information screens, color-coded route names and quieter doors to block out that horrifying screeching noise we've all grown accustomed to.

The model unit will begin a tour of the Bay Area with a stop at Justin Herman Plaza on April 16th from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. followed by West Oakland on the 18th, Fremont on the 21st, Pittsburg/Bay Point on the 23rd and back in San Francisco at Civic Center Plaza on April 25th. Several other stops are scheduled into May, but if you can't make it to any of them in person, BART has helpfully created another YouTube teaser video:


As for when we'll actually get to ride one of these slick-looking pieces of machinery, a brand-new 10-car train will hit BART tracks sometime next year for an 18-month testing period. That train will only be running outside of the normal service hours like the specter of BART to come. Assuming everything goes smoothly, BART will put in an order for the first 225 train cars which will go into service in 2017. Another 775 new cars will roll onto the system in the three years or so afterwards.

Previously: Cool New BART Cars To Feature Bike Racks, Chartreuse
See The BART Car Of Tomorrow Today!
[BART]