BART officials are recommending Bay Area commuters find alternate transportation after a fire near the train tracks in West Oakland Thursday morning suspended service between Oakland and San Francisco.

Hoping to restore partial Transbay service this afternoon - will depend on the extent of the fire damage, the BART Twitter account wrote.

The fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. local time at a senior housing complex near the BART West Oakland station, Bay Area Rapid Transit said on its website. The fire quickly spread to BART property and damaged track equipment.

BART crews are currently working to repair the damage, Bay Area Rapid Transit said. We are hoping to establish partial Transbay service (single tracking) by this afternoon, but this will depend upon the extent of the damage and work progress at the site. As always, your safety is our top priority.

The BART fire is not affecting service between San Francisco and Peninsula stations, however.

Richmond to Fremont trains are running, according to BART's website. On the Fremont to Daly City line, trains from Fremont are turning at 12th St. Oakland City Center Station. Trains from Pittsburg/Bay Point are also turning at 12th St. Oakland City Center Station. Trains from Dublin/Pleasanton are turning at Bay Fair Station. Trains from the Millbrae, Daly City and SFO are turning at Embarcadero Station. Expect residual delays on the Peninsula and in the East Bay.

BART is recommending Bay Area commuters make alternate travel plans, including:

  • Transbay bus service, provided by AC Transit
  • Ferry service running from Oakland, Alameda and the San Francisco Ferry Building
  • Carpool plans
  • Visiting 511.org for other regional transportation options

BART is giving updates on the status of train service on its website, through e-mail and text alerts, which you can sign up for here, its phone center (510-465-BART) and its Twitter accounts here and here.

Twitter Twitter California Twitter