They said it could never happen. They said it was only a dream. Most people that you asked about it swore that a BART extension to Santa Clara county was nothing more than a good idea on paper that was a selling point those many years ago when the BART project was first pitched. But at last after the years of political and legal wrangling, after the countless hours of fruitless debates and discussion the path for BART to Santa Clara County looks to be underway.

With the recent construction of a bridge over Pasao Padre Parkway in Fremont the first tangible physical sign thatthe Warms springs BART extension is real is finally taking shape. And now in October of 2009 ground has finally been broken for the BART Station that will become the new Warm Springs extension and the next step toward connecting Bart to Silicon Valley.

The First major phase of the Project will be a subway section underneath Central Park. It has long been a question many of the locals had. ” Where is the track going to go? Over the Park and Lake Elizabeth or Maybe though the lake.” Some even thought the best idea would be for the new track to shadow the current Railroad tracks that parallels Mission Blvd. 

The Answer finally came Wensday morning when the transit agency along with local and State leader broke ground on the new project. constructing a Tunnel underneath Central Park.

Earlier in the year BART officials said that 5.5 miles of new track will be laid from the current Station in Fremont on Mowry Avenue to the new station in Warm Springs.One mile of the new track will be underneath Central Park, stretching from south of Walnut Avenue to the eastern side of the park.

The total cost of the project announced even managed to come in some 45 percent under the projected cost of $249 million, at a comfortable $136 million.

Construction on the second phase, which includes track work, the station, line and systems, is anticipated to start next year.

BART officials believe construction will last about three and a half years, and the new station to be named South Fremont should be open in 2014.

The success of the project is a life long dream for many of the politicians and advocates who have pressed for a Transit system circling the SF BAY uninterrupted. 

BART officials hope to finish up with a line to Santa Clara University and lines eventually into San Mateo county , moving up the Peninsula late in 2025.