Downed power line halts BART service during morning commute

BART passengers stranded on the West Oakland platform on Monday, March 27, 2017. BART service was stopped between West Oakland and Embarcadero Monday morning because of down power lines in West Oakland. BART passengers stranded on the West Oakland platform on Monday, March 27, 2017. BART service was stopped between West Oakland and Embarcadero Monday morning because of down power lines in West Oakland. Photo: Fernando Diaz / @thefuturewasnow Photo: Fernando Diaz / @thefuturewasnow Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Downed power line halts BART service during morning commute 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

A downed power line brought BART to a near standstill Monday, leaving morning commuters on both sides of the bay stranded without service for more than an hour.

The rush-hour hitch began about 8:30 a.m. when a car crashed into a power pole near the West Oakland Station, sending electrified wires onto the tracks, officials said. Service through the Transbay Tube was shut down in both directions until shortly before 10 a.m., when Pacific Gas and Electric and fire department crews cleared the rail line.

For many East Bay riders, the first sign that something was wrong was when the doors of the trains failed to close and the cars sat idle. Then came the crackle of the trains’ public-address speakers and the announcement from the conductor that service into San Francisco was suspended.

Commuters at the MacArthur Station in Oakland flooded the station as trains failed to depart. Lyft and Uber prices surged 200 percent to more than $65 for a ride to the Financial District in San Francisco. Lines for AC Transit buses snaked around three city blocks.

“I’ve never seen a public transportation system this confusing,” said Stephanie Garcia, who is from Southern California and visiting friends on her spring break. “This is ridiculous.”

She tapped a few buttons on her phone, trying to connect with the Lyft driver picking her up. Then the ride dropped.

“Now I have to order a second car,” she sighed.

BART trains began running through the Transbay Tube again around 9:45 a.m.

The incident occurred just as BART was recovering from delays caused by a trespasser walking on the tracks near the Bay Fair Station in San Leandro, officials said.

The trespasser, reported just after 7 a.m., briefly stopped all trains going through the station before BART police removed the person from the tracks, officials said. There were no reports of injuries.

Back at the MacArthur Station, Miki Nielsen stood at the corner and watched for her friend’s car. It was just after 9 a.m., and her class at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts would begin in less than an hour. She said she relies on public transportation to get from her home in Vacaville to San Francisco.

“Some are just going home. Others banded together for a cab,” she said. “I phoned a friend.”

Jeff Goss, 52, an attorney visiting from Los Angeles, arrived at Powell Station, headed for Lafayette, and started plotting his options.

“I was about to go up and get an Uber or Lyft if it was going to be long,” he said.

Then came the announcement that service was about to resume, saving him some money.

“It would have been a lot to take Uber to Lafayette,” he said.

Chronicle staff writer

Michael Cabanatuan

contributed to this report.

Kurtis Alexander and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KurtisAlexander, @lizziejohnsonnn