BMW Group's DesignworksUSA studio previews Bay Area Rapid Transit refresh (video)

We've mentioned earlier that BMW would have a role in updating the Bay Area Rapid Transit (or BART, as it's known locally), the commuter rail system that serves the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, we have a preview video that gives us an idea of what that refresh will look like.

On the outside, the trains don't look radically different from what you'd expect to see from a commuter train. They're all basically metal boxes that hold people. New external LCDs show the train's destination and the doors get yellow illuminated trim that serves as a sort of visual countdown to when they'll be closing and the train will depart, which should help would-be riders decide whether it's worth sprinting across the platform or not.

Inside, BMW shows off three possible concepts with different takes on color, materials, and design of the upright posts that standing passengers will hold. Concept A and B are variations on a similar theme with Y-shaped uprights to enable more users to hold on at the same time. Concept C is a bit more abstract with an organically shaped upright design that features multiple ringlets that riders can hold and secondary a X-shaped upright that I can already see some poor kid getting his head stuck in. Perhaps it's just me, but either BMW is extremely efficient with its floor plan or the DesignworksUSA team is slightly overestimating the width of a BART car. Then again, it's just a concept, so I won't get too nitpicky about dimensions.

Check out the video preview below to see the future of public transit in the Bay Area in motion and let us know what you think in the comments below.