BART restores red line service 16 days after power interruption

BART officials restored the red line service Tuesday between Richmond and Millbrae with smaller but more frequent trains, 16 days after service was first interrupted by a broken power cable between the El Cerrito Plaza and Ashby stations.

Officials announced late Monday night that five-car trains — half the normal length of BART trains — would begin running Tuesday morning on both the red line and the orange line (between Richmond and Berryessa stations) more frequently than normally scheduled. Although the broken cable is still in disrepair, the transit agency is rerouting power in the interim from redundant system substations.

Noting that crews had successfully tested running shorter trains over the weekend, officials said in the news release: 

“Restoring the Red line will help alleviate crowding by offering more frequency and by eliminating the need to transfer to the yellow line for transbay service, despite running shorter trains.” 

The shorter trains on the red and orange lines will stop in the middle of station platforms, so riders are advised to not wait at the ends of platforms for trains.

Officials did not say when repairs would be completed and 10-car trains would resume service.

The power issues led to BART operating only between Oakland and Richmond on the orange line, with shuttle trains running between SFO and Millbrae stations.

BART officials said in early March that they have been aware of the power cable’s potential liability known for some time — the cable broke one day before a contractor was to begin the process of replacing it. 

Visit BART.gov for real-time service updates.