What it’s like to speed date on BART’s Valentine’s Day love train

Strangers chat during a round of speed dating on a BARTS’ train on Valentine’s Day. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local

About 200 young adults boarded a love-themed BART train in Berkeley Friday for a Valentine’s Day speed-dating event organized by the transit agency.

They were all aboard the “Valentraine,” or as the transit agency also dubbed it, “Trainder.” Only those who’d pre-registered could ride.

It was an opportunity to spark a connection the old-fashioned way — face to face, or at least, seat to seat — like a scene straight out of a rom-com, complete with nervous introductions, curious glances across a crowded train, and almost no phone screen in sight.

BART has long been the backdrop for real-life Bay Area love stories that have resulted in BART-themed weddings and happily ever-afters — stories the transit agency’s marketing team shared ahead of the event. But this was the first time BART hosted a social event like this, an experiment to engage the community and encourage people to take public transit.

Attendees wait for the love train at the Downtown Berkeley BART station. About 200 people registered for the event, but a few extra hopefuls without an RSVP were allowed to join last minute. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalUC Berkeley student Elisa Matalon, who attended the event with a close friend, leaned into the Valentine’s Day theme with red shoes and hearts on her fingernails. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local

A little after 6 p.m., the Downtown Berkeley BART station filled with hopeful energy as single transit nerds and brave Bay Areans began to mingle, unsure of what to expect from this first-ever event before stepping onto an abnormally spotless and clean BART train decorated with heart-shaped stickers.

To start, participants were divided into four train cars by age group: 18-21, 21-25, 25-30, and 30-35. The event organizers eventually consolidated everyone into three cars as some age groups were more populated than others, though there were no barriers preventing movement between them. 

As the train departed Downtown Berkeley, southbound for 24th Street/Mission with no stops in between, the atmosphere was a mix of excitement and slight awkwardness. But as the ride continued, a set of icebreaker questions given to participants helped loosen things up.

For some, the experience was about romantic possibilities. San Francisco-native Xochitl Montano, who attended with her best friend Edith Castorena, dressed in red and pink for the occasion, and embraced the spontaneity of the evening.

“I want to meet someone in person,” Montano said, noting that she wasn’t on any dating apps. “And when BART started sharing all those little love stories, I was like, ‘Yes, let’s romanticize BART.’”

For Icarus, who declined to give their last name, the event structure left room for improvement.

A BART staff member guides attendees to the speed dating event ahead of the train’s arrival in Downtown Berkeley. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalBay Area residents Davian Goodlow and Marisol Suárez chat during a round of speed dating. The event had 45 minutes of speed dating and 45 minutes of open social time. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local

“It would have been more fun if we had BART-themed speed dating, not in a BART train,” Icarus said, noting it was hard to hear their conversations with the overbearing sounds from the tracks.

On top of that, Icarus said that some people didn’t follow the speed dating rotation, and instead skipped open seats next to people they didn’t have an interest in.

“Separating us by age wasn’t super relevant,” said Icarus, who identifies as non-binary. “They should have separated us by what we were looking for.”

On the return trip, however, the structured age groups gave way to open mingling, and by then, many had already struck up conversations that could lead to something more.

Isabella Madruga and Anthony Gavrilchenko, both born and raised in the Bay Area, struck up a connection during the ride.

Isabella Madruga and Anthony Gavrilchenko, who met during one of the speed dating rounds, decided to continue sitting together for the remainder of the event. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local

“I thought I was going to come out of this with a couple of friends,” Madruga said mid-speed date with Gavrilchenko. “But it’s going pretty well, I would say.”

“I thought I was going to come out with a couple of enemies,” Gavrilchenko said. “But this is even better.”

When asked if there would be a second date, Madruga didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”

Attendees register with BART staff on the Berkeley BART platform. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalLeft: Elisa Matalon’s manicure was on theme for Valentine’s Day. Right: Sydney, who identifies as a goth, vamped her outfit with heart-shaped lollipop earrings. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalA couple chats in the fully packed BART train on Valentine’s Day. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalThe midpoint of the night was a raffle organized by the agency’s staff. Among the prizes were a Clipper card, BART-themed totes, cards, sweaters and plushies. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalStaff handed out BART-themed question cards for attendees to use as icebreakers. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalKevin Huang, left, chose to wear a bow tie to the event. Xochitl Montano added glitter and hearts to their make up. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight LocalA flirty couple leans into each other as BART reaches the end of its route in Downtown Berkeley. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local