Major BART delays hit Bay Area commuters after equipment problem

By Carlos E. Castañeda

BART experienced major delays across the system Tuesday evening after equipment problems near the Daly City station disrupted service during the evening commute, officials said.

The agency reported trackside equipment problems around 2:48 p.m. near Daly City. Red Line service was later canceled as the disruption worsened.

The problems affected service in multiple directions, including trains traveling toward SFO, Millbrae and the East Bay. The disruption also affected several downtown San Francisco stations.

At Embarcadero Station, trains did not pass through in either direction for more than 30 minutes between about 7 and 7:30 p.m., according to observations at the station.

By 7:33 p.m., an East Bay-bound train at the station had been emptied and passengers were directed to leave the station by BART police officers.

Embarcadero, Montgomery Street and Powell Street stations were temporarily closed amid the disruption, with BART police warning that additional station closures could follow.

BART said an additional disruption developed Tuesday evening after a substation fire near the Daly City Station. This prompted service to stop between West Oakland and Daly City in both directions. The San Francisco Fire Department said it was able to contain the fire by 7:44 p.m., and BART restored power to the trackway shortly after 9 p.m.

BART’s official service-alert page says that as of 9:30 p.m., limited service had been restored on the San Francisco Line between West Oakland and Balboa Park stations.

“BART service is also running between Colma, SFO, and Millbrae stations. Muni is providing service between Balboa Park and Daly City Station. SamTrans is providing service between Daly City and Colma stations,” the advisory read.

BART has not provided additional details about what caused the trackside equipment problem near Daly City.