Richmond station (California)

Richmond Transit Center

Company type	Transit hub
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1973-01-29
Headquarters	Richmond, California , United States
Products	BART services (Richmond–Fremont line, Richmond–Millbrae line), Amtrak services (Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, California Zephyr)

Richmond station, officially known as the Richmond Transit Center, is an intercity rail and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) hub located in downtown Richmond, California. It serves as the northern endpoint for BART's and lines and functions as a stop for Amtrak's Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and California Zephyr services. The station is fully accessible and consists of one island platform serving two BART tracks, alongside a second island platform that accommodates two of the three Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision tracks used by Amtrak. Richmond is one of the primary interchange stations between BART and Amtrak, sharing this role with Oakland Coliseum station.

The railroad line through this area was established by the Southern Pacific-controlled Northern Railway in 1878. By the mid-1880s, a flag stop called Barrett's Station was in operation, which was renamed Richmond in 1902 amid significant expansion. Southern Pacific constructed new stations in 1904 and again between 1914 and 1915; however, the original station was demolished around 1968, with passenger rail service continuing until Amtrak's inception in 1971.

The present-day station commenced operations on January 29, 1973, as the northern terminus for BART. The planning process encountered disputes regarding both the station’s site and its concourse layout. Amtrak service was introduced on October 30, 1977. In 2001, a new platform for Amtrak trains was installed, followed by a comprehensive renovation completed in 2007. Surface parking was replaced by a parking garage in 2013.

Station design and services

Located within Downtown Richmond, the station occupies a sizable block bordered by Macdonald Avenue, Marina Way, Barrett Avenue, and 19th Street. The railway right-of-way cuts diagonally across this block at street level, with bridges spanning lowered portions of Macdonald and Barrett Avenues at either end of the station. The BART section features a single island platform with two tracks positioned on the east side of the site. Richmond functions as the northern terminal for BART's and lines. On the west side lies an Amtrak island platform serving two of three Union Pacific Railroad Martinez Subdivision tracks. This platform supports the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and California Zephyr lines.

An east–west pedestrian concourse aligned with Nevin Avenue runs beneath both platforms and tracks, providing street-level access at each end. The western entrance is marked by a semicircular metal canopy designed in an "industrial post-modern" style alongside a small retail facility. On the southwest side of the station are a parking garage, a curved busway, and a kiss-and-ride lane. Metro Walk—a mixed-use transit-oriented development—occupies the block’s northwest corner. The entire station complex is fully accessible, featuring elevators at all entrances and platforms.

Richmond’s BART station was designed by local architectural firm Maher & Martens and includes three public art installations. Within the paid BART concourse area is a mosaic relief depicting marine life created by William Mitchell, composed of seashells and fiberglass; architecture critic Dave Weinstein described it as "the strangest work at any BART station". The west entrance plaza showcases On the Right Track, a tile mural series completed in 2007 by artists Jos Sances and Daniel Galvez. On the parking garage side stands Moving Richmond, an artwork consisting of two curved weathering steel plates inscribed with poetry by Ishmael Reed, created by Mildred Howard.

Although Richmond serves as a terminal for BART, most regional bus routes connect at El Cerrito del Norte station, which is closer to I-80. Several AC Transit bus lines—including local routes 70, 71, 72M, 74, 76, 376; school routes; and overnight route 800—use Richmond’s busway. Additionally, intercity buses operated by Flixbus as well as local shuttle services utilize this facility. A Golden Gate Transit route crossing the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, which linked to North Bay destinations, was discontinued in 2015 and consolidated with another line terminating at El Cerrito del Norte.

Southern Pacific Railroad

The Northern Railway, under the control of Southern Pacific (SP), inaugurated its route through the previously undeveloped marshlands near Point Richmond on January 8, 1878. Soon after, stops were introduced at San Pablo and Stege, locations now incorporated within Richmond. By the mid-1880s, SP had established a flag stop at Barrett's station—located near present-day Barrett Avenue—named in honor of local landowner George H. Barrett. By the turn of the century, Barrett's station consisted of a modest shelter serving multiple daily trains.

In 1902, reflecting the community's expansion, Barrett's station was renamed Richmond. Two years later, in 1904, SP replaced the original shelter with a new single-story station building accompanied by an adjoining freight house situated north of Macdonald Avenue. Construction began in August 1914 on a larger station valued at approximately $11,000 (adjusted for inflation), which opened in September 1915. The former station building was then converted into a freight house. This new wooden facility included porticos on both ends.

The East Shore and Suburban Railway—later integrated into the Key System—linked the Standard Oil refinery to the SP station in July 1904 and extended eastward along Macdonald Avenue by October 1905. Due to municipal regulations, passengers were required to cross SP tracks on foot until a contract worth $35,000 was awarded in September 1907 to construct an underpass; this underpass became operational in May 1908. Streetcar service was discontinued in 1933 and replaced by Key System buses, which eventually became part of AC Transit.

Although intercity rail services declined over time, Richmond continued to be served by SP trains operating along the Shasta Route, Overland Route, and Central Valley routes. Additionally, Santa Fe trains stopped at a separate Richmond station. The SP station ceased operations on August 30, 1968, and was demolished to make way for BART infrastructure, leaving only a platform behind. Service by SP’s San Joaquin Daylight train to Richmond lasted until May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail operations.

BART station

As early as 1957, Richmond was identified as a potential terminus for a regional rapid transit network. Voters approved the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in November 1962, and by December 1965 the name "Richmond" was officially assigned to the station. Initially planned for the intersection of 6th Street and Macdonald Avenue, the site was relocated to 16th Street and Nevin Avenue to accommodate a rail yard and allow for future system expansion. After negotiations, BART’s alignment followed an ATSF branch line from North Berkeley to 23rd Street before curving northward along the SP tracks into Richmond station. The tracks extended beyond the station to reach the rail yard, with an existing grade crossing replaced by a road underpass to enhance safety.

By August 1967, construction had progressed over approximately 57 of the intended 75 miles; however, financial constraints jeopardized projects including Richmond station where work had yet to advance beyond El Cerrito del Norte. Construction resumed following voter approval of a temporary sales tax in March 1969. In June 1968, plans were revised from an elevated design to an underground concourse after concerns raised by city officials.

Constructed by Rothschild & Raffin at a cost of $2.3 million (equivalent to $ million), Richmond station played a central role in downtown revitalization efforts. BART service officially began on January 29, 1973, with Richmond continuing as a terminus since that time. Although an extension toward Crockett was contemplated in 1991, it was never pursued. Initially served exclusively by the Richmond–Fremont line (now known as the Orange Line), direct service connecting Richmond with San Francisco (Red Line) started in April 1976 and expanded to all-day operation by July 1980 following improvements in train scheduling through the Transbay Tube.

Amtrak station

Unlike many other metropolitan areas, the Bay Area did not have a convenient location where Amtrak intercity trains and local rapid transit intersected; Oakland's 16th Street station was situated far from any BART stations. The introduction of the San Joaquin service in 1974 added a third daily round trip on the Southern Pacific mainline north of Oakland. On October 30, 1977, a new Amtrak station costing $667,000 opened adjacent to the BART station, serving the San Joaquin as well as the long-distance San Francisco Zephyr and Coast Starlight. This facility included two platforms capable of handling 18-car trains and featured elevator access from a compact station building.

Amtrak services expanded over time, with a second San Joaquin route introduced in 1980 and the debut of the Capitols (now known as the Capitol Corridor) in 1991. Richmond also briefly hosted the Spirit of California train between 1981 and 1983. Due to funding disagreements between Caltrans and Amtrak, hiring a station agent was postponed until September 1982.

The Coast Starlight ceased stopping at Richmond in April 1996, followed by the discontinuation of the California Zephyr (which succeeded the San Francisco Zephyr) in October 1998. Until 2005, when an Amtrak platform opened at Oakland Coliseum station—served exclusively by the Capitol Corridor—Richmond remained the only location offering a direct Amtrak-BART transfer within the region.

Renovations

Although trains continued to serve Richmond, the Amtrak station building itself closed on December 1, 1997. On April 12, 2000, BART and the city launched plans for a "transit village," a mixed-use transit-oriented development (TOD) next to the station. In July 2001, the outdated Amtrak facility was replaced by a state-funded $1.9 million modern island platform that improved access to BART's pedestrian tunnel. The developer for this project was chosen in 2002. A BART plan from 2004 projected further enhancements including additional faregates and expansion of paid areas by 2025.

The transit village’s initial phase completed in 2004 featured 132 housing units along with retail space on the station’s west side. A $6.4 million renovation of the station expanded concourse entrances and added a canopy over the west entrance. On October 18, 2007, the facility was officially designated as the Richmond Transit Center. A ticket window for BART opened in August 2008, joining those at seven other major stations. The new parking garage with a capacity of 750 vehicles opened on May 30, 2013, replacing the former surface lot on the east side.

Long-distance train service resumed at Richmond on November 8, 2010; however, the Coast Starlight stop was discontinued again in January 2013 due to late-night arrivals conflicting with concourse accessibility hours. In 2018, BART and CCJPA installed a "courtesy light" system on the Amtrak platform to better coordinate train arrivals and facilitate smoother transfers. Accessibility upgrades including reconstruction of the Amtrak platform and stairs began in fiscal year 2023 and are anticipated to be completed by fiscal year 2025. Additionally, second-generation BART faregates were installed between September 3 and September 13, 2024.

Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, plans for a second phase of the transit village include constructing approximately 520 residential units on the east side of the station. However, BART acknowledges that significant market challenges and implementation obstacles must be overcome before transit-oriented development above the busway can proceed; this third phase is not expected to commence until at least the mid-2030s.

External links

• Richmond – BART Official Site
• Richmond – Capitol Corridor Information