Union City station

Union City station
Company type	Rapid transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	September 11, 1972; 54 years ago
Headquarters	Union City, California, United States
Area served	Union City, California and surrounding areas
Products	Bay Area Rapid Transit services (Orange and Green lines)
Website	www.bart.gov/stations/unioncity

Union City station serves as a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stop situated in Union City, California. It is positioned near Decoto Road, just east of Alvarado-Niles Road, and lies behind the campus of James Logan High School. This station accommodates both the Orange and Green lines and offers connections to local bus routes operated by Union City Transit and AC Transit.

History

The Western Pacific Railroad (WP) extended its tracks through Decoto in 1909, commencing passenger operations on August 22, 1910, with two daily round trips halting at the location. Starting October 1, a commuter service to Oakland and San Francisco was introduced but was discontinued by 1914, resulting in limited service thereafter. During the 1930s, WP scaled back to a single daily train stop but introduced the Exposition Flyer in 1939. Until approximately 1942, Decoto functioned as a flag stop for the Feather River Express.

BART’s Fremont line was developed along the former Western Pacific route, placing Union City station slightly south of the original WP facility. The BART Board assigned the name "Union City" in December 1965, with operations beginning on September 11, 1972. Although elevator installation was postponed due to a nationwide strike, it was completed shortly after the station opened. The fare lobby features tile mosaics created by artists Jean Varda and Alfonso Pardiñas. Initially lacking direct bus connections, "The Flea"—now known as Union City Transit—began service in 1974, coinciding with AC Transit’s extension of routes to Fremont and Newark that same year. In 1984, AC Transit launched bus service across the Dumbarton Bridge (later called Dumbarton Express), linking Union City station with Palo Alto.

Access to the station was originally limited to Union Way; however, starting in 2008, parking lot renovations improved entry from new developments east of the tracks through a newly constructed road connecting to Decoto Road. There were also proposals for a commuter rail platform to serve Capitol Corridor trains and the anticipated Dumbarton Rail Corridor. Nonetheless, subsequent Capitol Corridor rerouting plans excluded a stop at Union City. The parking and roadway enhancements were finalized in March 2012 and included new bus stops adjacent to the station entrance.

Additional improvements envisioned an eastern entrance connected to transit-oriented development (TOD) on redeveloped industrial land east of the station. A ground-level fare lobby expansion accommodating future pedestrian access was completed in 2017. The California Public Utilities Commission approved an at-grade pedestrian crossing over the Union Pacific Oakland Subdivision as a cost-saving alternative to constructing a grade-separated crossing. Between 2019 and December 2022, two escalators were installed on the east BART platform. As of October 2023, construction of the pedestrian crossing is projected to conclude by 2025. BART intends to seek TOD developers between 2029 and 2033 to replace existing surface parking areas at the station.

Future expansion includes plans to incorporate some Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) services via a new platform adjacent to BART along the Oakland Subdivision. By 2030, it is proposed that three daily ACE round trips will operate: two running between Union City and Merced, and one connecting Union City with Natomas/Sacramento Airport station.

External links

Union City Station – BART