BART says it has fixed a problem with a control system that's forcing operators to run trains manually through the Transbay Tube during the Friday morning rush.
BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said in an email that the manual operation through the tube in both directions meant trains had to travel more slowly than the normal top speed of 70 mph or so. Slower speeds in the tube backed up traffic throughout the system. BART described the result as "major delays." Rider reports on Twitter suggest many commuters were delayed on their trips by at least half an hour.
Trains were reported to be back on automatic control, and up to speed, about 8:45 a.m. Friday's problem was the latest in a week of serious delays on the system, including one involving a train derailing in Concord and a brief rush-hour shutdown when police chased stolen-property suspects into the BART tunnel near the 24th Street/Mission station in San Francisco.
BART wasn't the only transit system having major problems Friday morning. A southbound Caltrain broke down south of Redwood City, forcing the system to single-track trains and leading to major delays in the commute in both directions. Caltrain reported the bottleneck had been cleared about 8:30 a.m.