USA, California, Daly City: A fire at a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) substation in Daly City has been attributed to ageing infrastructure combined with unusually high temperatures.
BART Assistant General Manager of Operations Sylvia Lamb said high heat overwhelmed an HVAC unit at the substation, triggering a fire that damaged equipment and disrupted rail services. The facility is at least 40 years old and is among several substations already scheduled for replacement.
A second fire occurred on nearby tracks, damaging a traction power cable approximately 30 years old. BART said there appeared to be a connection between the cable failure and the substation incident.
The extreme temperatures also caused problems with the train control system, producing false indications that trains were occupying sections of track that were actually clear.
Repair crews worked overnight to restore damaged power infrastructure. Four of BART’s five lines subsequently returned to normal operation, while the Green Line remained out of service as repair work continued.
The incident has renewed attention on the condition of ageing infrastructure across the BART network. The agency has been carrying out upgrades using funding from a $3.5 B bond measure approved by voters in 2016.
BART said significant progress has been made, but acknowledged that the scale of the network means not all ageing assets can be replaced at once. A proposed regional sales tax, due to go before voters in November, could provide additional funding for Bay Area transit agencies.
Source: KTVU FOX 2
