BART Inspects Transbay Tube After Distressed Ship Drops Anchor
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A container ship heading into the Port of Oakland caused a brief scare Friday when its anchor dropped near BART's Transbay Tube, prompting a brief stoppage of train service between San Francisco and the East Bay, authorities said.
The 965-foot vessel lost power near Oakland's Berth 35 around 8:30 a.m. and its pilot dropped anchor roughly 1,200 feet southwest of the Transbay Tube, according to the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association.
Due to the proximity to the tube, the U.S. Coast Guard notified BART's operations control center about the anchor at 11:58 a.m., prompting the agency to stop transbay train service while crews checked for possible damage, BART spokesman Jim Allison said.
No damage was found and train service resumed at 12:17 p.m. with some residual delays reported until later in the afternoon, BART officials said.
BART spokeswoman Luna Salaver said crews will go back and inspect the Transbay Tube after train service ends for the night.
However, the bar pilots association said there is no evidence the anchor came close to the tube or made any contact with it. No injuries were reported on board the ship, which is now safely berthed at the Port of Oakland, according to the association.
The cause of the vessel's loss of propulsion remains under investigation, Coast Guard officials said.
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