Skip to Content

Civic Center BART reopened after blown insulator

The fire department and BART police were all over Market Street Tuesday following the incident

A BART police vehicle is parked outside a Civic Center BART station entrance. Photo: Matt Haber/Gazetteer SF

BART is experiencing major delays after a blown insulator on the tracks at the Civic Center BART station resulted in a loud bang and smoke late Tuesday morning.

"We evacuated the station and San Francisco Fire responded to put out the flames. No injuries reported. There is some damage to our third rail on one track that will need to be repaired. We are running service on the undamaged track." BART spokesperson Christopher Filippi said in a statement.

No injuries have been reported. The stretch of Market Street near the station was full of BART and San Francisco police as well as San Francisco fire. The station smelled of smoke but commuters were still entering. “You got a mask?” one passenger said, as they walked down the steps.

A scooter-riding passenger at the Montgomery BART station told Gazetteer SF earlier Tuesday that passengers at the Civic Center and Powell stations are being redirected to Montgomery.

Trains are single tracking between the Montgomery and 24th Street BART stations on the yellow and blue lines, BART spokesperson Anna Duckworth said. MUNI trains are still servicing Civic Center in both directions.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Gazetteer SF

San Francisco: Dead and loving it

A new listings site from McSweeney’s doesn’t quite prove that nothing ever happens in this city

January 12, 2026

Neighborhood watch

One person’s experience living — and protesting ICE — near 630 Sansome St.

January 12, 2026

Guitar wizard

From Red Rocks to Golden Gate Park, a longtime Grateful Dead fan reflects on Bob Weir’s legacy

January 12, 2026

CBS News drops its anchor in the Bay

Tony Dokoupil is in San Francisco to ponder the future

January 9, 2026

What you’ll be fighting about in 2026

Yes, it’s a new year, but we’ll all be having these same old arguments

January 9, 2026

Move fast and sell books

Former tech reporters Sarah Lacy and Paul Carr are running The Best Bookstore in Union Square like a startup

January 7, 2026
See all posts