Equipment problem causes smoke, delays at Civic Center BART

2022-05-14 22:50:30 By : Ms. Wang Sasha

An equipment problem on the track at the Civic Center BART station in San Francisco led to the closure of the station shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, BART officials said. The station reopened for normal train service about 6:15 p.m.

The problem was believed to be a blown insulator, according to BART spokesman Chris Filippi. An insulator is a football-sized track component made of porcelain that helps contain electricity in the third rail, he said.

"It appears to be at this point — and this is very preliminary — but it appears to be a blown insulator, which is a track component," said Filippi. "And when one of those blows, like it has apparently in this situation, it can emit a great deal of smoke."

It also makes a "sharp bang noise," BART tweeted.

"We don't have any indication of fire at this point," Filippi said.

The San Francisco Fire Department and BART both responded to the situation at the station.

Although the station has reopened, some delays remain, according to BART.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter

Filipa Ioannou is a producer at SFGATE, where she writes about an eclectic mix of topics ranging from politics to internet-famous animals to wellness trends.

She is especially interested in the intersection of politics and culture, and in the fresh and irreverent angles on state and national politics that resonate locally and get people talking. She always has her eye on the politicians and celebrities with Bay Area ties who are driving the conversation on the national stage, from Kamala Harris to Guy Fieri. She brings equal curiosity to policy details that will impact Bay Area zoning rules as she does to Arnold Schwarzenegger's flamboyant cowboy boots or Jerry Brown's corgi.

She previously covered breaking news at the San Francisco Chronicle and politics at the San Antonio Express-News and PolitiFact. She grew up in New York and graduated from Princeton magna cum laude in Near Eastern Studies in 2015.