BART train derails, catches fire near Orinda, minor injuries reported

ORINDA, Calif. - A Bay Area Rapid Transit train came off the tracks on Monday morning in between the Orinda and Lafayette stations, according to BART. The New Year's Day mishap caused some injuries and two train cars caught fire.  

The transit agency referred to the incident as an "equipment problem" on the train. The derailing happened just after 9 a.m. on an eastbound Yellow Line train. The train was unable to move and passengers self-evacuated off the train without the benefit of a BART platform.  

Passengers from the train were escorted to the Orinda station by staff. Both Lafayette and Orinda stations are closed. 

BART train derailment in the East Bay on Jan. 1, 2024. 

As a result, there is no train service between Rockridge and Walnut Creek. AC Transit is providing a free bus bridge between the two areas in both directions through the end of the night's service. Riders should expect major delays on the Yellow Line (Antioch-SFO). 

Local fire crews responded to the trains that caught fire. 

At around 4:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol closed the two inner lanes of eastbound Highway 24, between Wilder Road and St. Stephens Drive, according to Caltrans. 

The closure is expected to last more than six hours, partly so firefighters can access the burned trains. At around 4:40 p.m., a large crane arrived on the scene to remove the derailed train off a switch track complex. 

The derailment occurred when the train passed over the track-switching complex just east of the station, due to a computer failure, the transit agency said. 

The operator had been ordered by train control to stop and switch the train's route manually since the train control's remote equipment was unable to trigger the activation. 

The two impacted train cars had to be re-railed in order to be pushed to a rail yard. The agency said the train cars were re-railed shortly after 7 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., the trains were moving towards the rail yard. 

By evening, repair work was underway to damaged sections of the track. "We will be using our tamper vehicle to surface the track area, pounding down the rocks/ballast. The good news is there was no damage to track switches," the agency wrote. 

BART said they hope to have a minimum of single tracking train service through the area in place for Tuesday morning. Depending on the progress made, they could be back to full normal service by morning. 

Passengers were surprised. "The train stopped and we were just sitting there for a minute, few minutes. Everybody that was in the car in front of us just jumped up and started running towards the door. Then we just seen all that smoke and stuff out there so we were stuck on the train for a few minutes until they opened one of the doors toward the back," said passenger Ralph Baker. 

According to reports, as many as nine people were transported to hospitals; all with minor injuries. 

"All of a sudden, there was a jolt. It was pretty scary. I didn't see the flames at first. I know two people got injured, but not in my car," said passenger Alex Marquez.

For passenger safety, BART quickly de-energized the track, which also stranded other trains. 

"Most of the people was OK. I think there was a couple people down there that might have suffered smoke inhalation or something else," said Baker. 

"When we evacuated, they put (up) a ladder. Everybody stepped down and we had to walk to the station and up some stairs up to the platform," said passenger Dominique Perkins. 

"We had to walk on the rails, which was pretty crazy," said Marquez.

"The first step of the process will be to re-rail the train and then to move it out of the way," said BART spokesperson Jim Allison.  He said they would then inspect the tracks and repair any damage. 

Check with BART before you use the Yellow Line. "Our goal is certainly to have a normal commute as quick as possible. And by Wednesday I would anticipate, yes, everything would be back to normal," Allison said.

Until the work is done, the bus bridge will be the only BART-provided alternative for the Antioch line.

In the past, BART has blamed hot weather for previous derailments. The Yellow line derailed during the evening commute hours in the summer of 2022. As many as 50 passengers had to be evacuated from that train. 

The official cause of the derailment is under investigation by BART and the California Public Utilities Commission. 

Bay City News contributed to this report.