BART service restored - man in custody

After more than an hour to subject is apprehended by police, on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2013, in Oakland, Ca. A man walked onto the BART tracks just east of the West Oakland station shutting down service for over an hour as police tried to talk the man off the tracks. less After more than an hour to subject is apprehended by police, on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2013, in Oakland, Ca. A man walked onto the BART tracks just east of the West Oakland station shutting down service for over an ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close BART service restored - man in custody 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

(12-17) 12:26 PST OAKLAND -- BART service was restored Tuesday afternoon after a man walking on the tracks in Oakland, between the West Oakland and 12th Street stations, caused major systemwide delays and forced the transit agency to turn off the third rail, officials said.

The man was reported on the tracks shortly after 11:10 a.m., said Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman. A train operator attempted to get the man to board a train, she said, but reported that the man was making suicidal statements.

BART police officers trained in crisis intervention were dispatched to the scene, and BART operators turned off the electric third rail in the area where the man was walking as a precaution, according to Trost.

"You never know what the person is going to do so we had to power everything off for safety," she said. "Because it's such a central location, the entire system is going to feel the impact.

By 12:14 p.m., the man was in custody and trains began moving again, Trost said.