BART tube reopened after anchor scare

(01-31) 16:16 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- BART trains moving between Oakland and San Francisco were delayed briefly Friday while authorities investigated whether a ship on the bay had dropped its anchor on the Transbay Tube.

It had not, authorities said later.

A ship that lost propulsion in the waters above the tube released its anchor to keep from drifting around 8:45 a.m. Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard noticed the ship's location near the Transbay Tube and alerted BART as a precaution around 11:55 a.m., said transit agency spokesman Jim Allison.

The 965-foot-long container ship had actually anchored 1,200 feet southwest of the tube, according to the San Francisco Bar Pilots, the organization representing those who guide ships through thebay. The power was restored to the ship within minutes, and the anchor was retrieved.

Two tugboats assisted the ship to a pier in Oakland, according to the Coast Guard. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the ship's loss of propulsion.

Officials suspended all service through the tube while inspectors checked for damage. Finding none, the tube was reopened around 12:15 p.m. Delays through the tube peaked at about 30 minutes after the incident.