[Sanddancer]

These are completely separate hires from the rest of the BART system. Because Santa Clara County didn't buy into the system in the 60s, choosing to build a network of expressways instead, VTA is operating these stations completely separate of the rest of the BART network. So that means you're going to need redundancies that you wouldn't need if you had a bigger station and employee pool.

[wahern]

How are they separate? The article says,

  [the VTA] is building the new station and handing off its
  operation to BART once complete

Then later on

  Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman, said her transit agency
  will ramp up to hire 162 positions, funded by and dedicated
  for the Berryessa extension. She added BART is estimating it
  will cost $27.5 million to provide service at the new
  stations.

Finally,

  VTA will reimburse BART for the cost for staffing the two
  new stations.

I missed the last part the first time through. If VTA agreed to reimburse BART for operating costs, then as a union negotiator it would seem an easy sell for BART to hire an excessive number of employees given that they wouldn't be footing the bill. And in any event, it would be in BART's best interest to inflate its operating cost estimates for the two stations to minimize its risk going forward. Inflating the number of positions needed is one way to do that.