Strategic Control of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) is the first automatic rapid transit system in the world. It employs the latest state-of-the-art design in electronic automatic controls. This fully automatic rapid transit system will soon enter its first phase of revenue service. The automatic train control system is discussed, beginning with the system requirements and the types of automatic control systems employed. The way in which they function in relation to each other is then shown. Finally, a typical car progressing down the track is described, showing how the vehicle performance is monitored, displayed, and adjusted to meet the system requirements.