Learn how new funding for our Train Control Upgrade Project will help make your Muni Metro trips more reliable and faster overall.
We are working hard to improve your trips on Muni Metro, and a milestone grant will help us make even more progress.
We recently won a $41 million state grant from the California Transportation Commission. Its highly competitive Solutions for Congested Corridors Program funds capital infrastructure projects.
This grant will provide a vital source of support for our Train Control Upgrade Project (TCUP). The project will overhaul and expand Muni Metro’s outdated train control system. This is critical work that cannot be delayed. As we advance our long-term work on TCUP, we will continue to seek other sources of funding to support day-to-day Muni service.
Learn how the train control upgrade project works – and how it will improve your rides on Muni Metro.
TCUP will improve subway efficiency. This will help us offer more service to our riders without risking delays.
How train control will improve citywide – and what it means for your rides
Why our technology needs to change
Today, our train control system runs on technology from the 1990s.
Plus, train control is only installed inside the subways. On the street, trains rely fully on the operator’s manual control and line of sight. Our Transportation Management Center is our “air traffic control.” They have to communicate with operators to know what our trains are doing. This makes it harder to troubleshoot issues with Metro service. It also limits our ability to take proactive steps that prevent service issues.
Through TCUP, we will switch to Communications-Based Train Control technology. This technology uses wireless connections. It precisely tracks and continually communicates with every light rail vehicle in service. Our contract also locks in regular software updates for the life of the new system.
How the new system will improve your trips
Operators will have new tools to manage Muni Metro trains. Modern train control technology allows easier and safer operations citywide.
The new system will improve efficiency in the subways by an estimated 20%. This will enable us to run more service without as many delays due to subway congestion.
TCUP will improve traffic light timing as well. Continuous communication will give Muni Metro trains more green lights. This lowers wait times and makes trips faster overall.
And new data will help us see how our Metro service is performing in ways we’ve never been able to before – including outside the subways. This means we can spot patterns or issues and keep making changes to improve your trips.
New features like “special events mode” will also improve your rides with us. This will allow service planners to pre-set service patterns. These can help move people to and from events at the ballpark and Chase Center faster and with less crowding.
Together, all of these upgrades will help you experience:
- Shorter, smoother rides
- Fewer delays and missed connections
- More reliable trips across the city
With modern train control, Muni Metro trains will be continuously connected. Today, they have to pause at subway portals to receive a signal from our outdated technology.
Protecting our investment in the future of transit
Upgrading and expanding this technology is a vital long-term investment.
That’s why the project team is managing risk proactively. This ensures we deliver the strongest outcomes. A key example: staff pursued some innovative approaches in contracting. They include:
- Separate consultant, supplier and installer contracts to create more flexibility
- Special approval from the Board of Supervisors to negotiate with bidders. This provided bidders with a better understanding of the needs of the project.
- Performance metrics and outcomes built into contracts. And, payments tied to meeting those performance goals. This means contractors won’t get paid unless they deliver the promised results.
The first phase of the project will install modern train control technology between Embarcadero Station and Mission Bay, to improve travel along this busy stretch.
What’s next
The project is currently undergoing a detailed design process. Installation of the new technology will take place in overlapping phases. We expect to complete Phase 1 – the first on-street installation – in 2028. Work on Phase 2 – the subway technology replacement – is expected to start in late 2026 and end in 2030. The remaining on-street phases are slated to finish in 2032.
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