BART update on train derailment near Daly City Station
BART Spokesperson Alicia Trost released the following update:
The derailment that occurred on Saturday May 20th at 2:55 pm occurred at a rail joint about 400 feet from the Daly City platform. A rail joint is where two sections of rail are mechanically joined. It involved two cars in the middle of a nine-car Dublin/Pleasanton bound train.
There is an active investigation to determine the cause of the derail.
The area of rail was last inspected on May 18, 2017 and measured on April 13, 2017 and both checked out fine. This is not the section of track where crews worked on last year when we had track closures in that area.
The derail caused damage to the third rail and the two train cars involved. There was minor damage to the track and the nearby interlocking wasn’t damaged.
Crews made the necessary fixes to be able to run train service on the track over the week. There are some additional track component replacements that will take place tonight during the overnight hours.
We do not have cost estimates related to this incident yet.
The following news release was issued Saturday (5/20/17):
At approximately 2:55 p.m. this afternoon, two cars in the middle of a nine-car Dublin/Pleasanton bound train derailed several feet off the trackway, damaging the train and adjacent track structures.
The derailment occurred just after the northbound train departed Daly City Station, approximately 250 feet from the platform.
24 customers were aboard; thankfully none were injured due to the train traveling at low speeds after departing the platform, and all were safely escorted by BART and local emergency staff to Daly City Station.
Service between Balboa Park and Colma was then halted in both directions and Daly City Station closed while inspectors assessed the damage to the train and trackway. A bus bridge was put in place for affected passengers, and sister agencies (CalTrain, SamTrans, MUNI) honored BART tickets for those affected.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., safety officials cleared the southbound track for single-tracking and resumed BART service to SFO, with major delays for passengers traveling through the affected area.
There is no evidence at this time that the derailment was caused by an error on the part of the train operator.
Train service through the affected area will continue via single tracking through end-of-service tonight at midnight. Some delays will continue to occur as we move unaffected cars from the derailed train out of the area; add additional time if you are heading to the airport through the affected area.
We are not expecting this incident to affect service to tomorrow's Bay to Breakers event. BART will still be opening early at 6 a.m. with long trains to accommodate those participating, and we strongly encourage people to use BART to get there.
We apologize for the inconvenience today's events have caused passengers, and want to thank all the people who helped get trains moving again as well as the emergency responders whose quick reaction and expertise ensured no injuries. While we do not have details as to the cause at this time, rest assured we will be thoroughly investigating. Safety is our greatest concern at BART, and we will be working through the night to have the system ready for full service.