BART resumes Transbay service after network-related shutdown between West Oakland and San Francisco’s 24th Street Mission station

Cross-bay rail service restored after morning interruption

BART service through the Transbay Tube resumed Thursday morning after an equipment-related disruption halted trains between West Oakland and San Francisco’s 24th Street Mission station during the peak commute. The interruption stopped cross-bay travel on the Red and Green lines and forced riders to seek alternate ways to reach San Francisco and the East Bay.

The shutdown began around 8:30 a.m. Pacific time and lasted about 45 minutes before trains began running again around 9 a.m. BART reported that the interruption was tied to a network engineering problem and a computer network hardware issue. After trains resumed, the agency warned riders to expect residual delays systemwide as operations stabilized.

What happened and what riders experienced

With no rail service between West Oakland and 24th Street Mission, stations in the East Bay and San Francisco saw crowding and confusion as riders discovered that trains were not crossing the bay. Some travelers turned to ride-hail services, adjusted work plans, or sought bus and ferry alternatives. Transit staff directed riders toward other options to cross the Bay Bridge while repairs were underway.

During the disruption, San Francisco’s municipal transit system provided mutual aid in the downtown corridor to help absorb displaced passengers. BART restored service by switching over to backup equipment after crews identified and troubleshot the problem.

A second major Transbay Tube disruption in less than a week

Thursday’s breakdown followed another major Transbay Tube interruption earlier in the week. On Sunday afternoon, BART suspended service through the Tube after a loss of communications, with trains turning back at Embarcadero in San Francisco and West Oakland in the East Bay. Service did not resume until early Monday morning.

BART later identified the Sunday communication failure as stemming from an RV fire near West Oakland that damaged radio communication cables considered essential for safe train operations. The incident triggered overnight inspections and testing before the system returned to normal service.

Operational and financial pressures in a critical corridor

The Transbay Tube is BART’s most important bottleneck: when it closes, rail service between San Francisco and much of the East Bay cannot operate as designed, and delays cascade across multiple lines. Recent disruptions—ranging from power and equipment issues to cable damage near the tracks—have underscored the system’s dependence on communications and electrical infrastructure that must function continuously to keep trains moving safely.

These reliability strains are unfolding as BART faces longer-term budget challenges, including warnings of a large structural deficit in coming years. For riders, repeated service interruptions translate into missed connections, longer trips, and greater dependence on alternative transbay capacity that can be limited during peak periods.

• Service interruption: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, roughly 8:30 a.m. to about 9:00 a.m.
• Affected segment: West Oakland to 24th Street Mission (Transbay Tube closure)
• Recent related disruption: Sunday, Feb. 22 through early Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 (communications failure later linked to cable damage from a nearby fire)

BART advised riders to expect systemwide delays after cross-bay service resumed.