Third Rail Power Loss Slows BART Trains In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/BCN) — A power loss to the third rail triggered major BART delays to trains in San Francisco Friday morning, officials said.

BART officials said the equipment problem at the 24th Street Mission station in San Francisco. The delay started around 7:45 a.m.

The delay is due to a power loss to a track’s third rail and is affecting trains on the San Francisco line in the SFO, Millbrae, Daly City and East Bay directions.

Meanwhile, San Francisco fire spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter said fire crews responded to the station around 7:30 a.m. after trash was discovered burning on the track.

“The San Francisco fire department received 911 calls for smoke in the area of the 24th Street BART station,” he said on a Twitter post. “Units arrived on scene quickly and determined that this was trash in the tracks near one of the trains. The small pile of trash was quickly extinguished.”

SMOKE IN AREA OF 24TH ST BART

TRASH FIRE (SMOLDERING) UNDER THE BART TRACKS WHICH HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED

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SMOKE DISSIPATING — FOLLOW @SFBARTalert FOR UPDATED SYSTEM INFO pic.twitter.com/G8gEavFpb8

— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 12, 2021

It was not immediately known if the third rail issued were related to the fire.

As of 8 a.m., trains were single-tracking through the 24th Street station while crews work to restore power, a BART spokeswoman said.

Officials said the track problem was resolved around 9 a.m. and the system was recovering. But there will be lingering major delays on trains bound for SFO, Millbrae, Daly City and Antioch.