BART Service Disrupted Again After Significant Power Issue

BART experienced major disruptions on Monday morning, with service halted on multiple lines and limited on others, according to the agency.

Just after 9 a.m., BART said the major delays, which were prompted by a power issue between San Francisco’s Powell and Embarcadero stations, had been resolved. The agency warned riders that residual delays could continue.

During peak commute hours from about 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., BART’s Green and Red Line trains, which run from Berryessa to Daly City and Richmond to San Francisco International Airport, were suspended. Service on the Blue Line was limited to the East Bay stations between Dublin/Pleasanton and San Leandro, and all travel through San Francisco was limited during the same time.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the power issue.

On dispatch audio, a train operator reported “a small explosion … and a lot of smoke” along the tracks when his train was approaching Montgomery Street around 6:52 a.m.

The disruption is the latest in a series of BART service meltdowns — since May, it has experienced at least five major outages. Over the summer, trains ran fare-free for hours due to a separate Clipper card issue.

It also comes as the agency faces a fiscal cliff and warns that without new revenue streams, it could move to reduce or cut services as soon as next year. Transit advocates are lobbying to put a sales tax on the November 2026 ballot that would generate revenue for BART and other regional transit agencies also on the verge of major budget deficits.