Subway system reduces service hours for one-week maintenance schedule

San Francisco transit officials will once again reduce subway system service hours to facilitate critical maintenance work.

For one week, Jan. 26 through Feb. 2, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will close the subway from 9:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. and will run shuttle buses and limited train service on the street level.

SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said crews will work on overhead lines, tracks, signals, cable and the system’s Automatic Train Control System.

Transit officials explained during a San Francisco Board of Directors meeting earlier this month that the train control system accounts for nearly 50 percent of subway delays.

The transit agency said shuttle buses will serve stops from Embarcadero and Brannan Street to St. Francis Circle. On Market Street, Muni passengers can locate shuttle bus stops marked with yellow half-moon-shaped Muni sign.

The K-Ingleside will maintain train service from Balboa Park to St. Francis Circle. The L-Taraval will run from the San Francisco Zoo to West Portal and the M-Ocean View will make stops between Balboa Park and West Portal.

N-Judah trains will serve stops from Ocean Beach to Church and Duboce avenues and the J-Church will provide train service from Balboa Park to Church and Duboce avenues.

Train service on the T-Third will run from Sunnydale to Embarcadero and Brannan Street.

Transit officials said the early nightly subway closure gives maintenance crews a bigger operational window to complete work.

A similar maintenance schedule was implemented for a two-week period in August.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.