10:30 AM: According to a report from Bay City News, BART removed the loose cover board at about 10 this morning, and service is starting to get back to normal.
Emphasis on “starting to” — as of 10:30, riders are still reporting packed trains and significant delays. You have been warned!
9:57 AM: Major delays are being reported on all BART lines since 9:30 this morning.
The issue? In the West Oakland area, a “loose cover board,” which typically covers the electrified third rail, which is blocking tracks, a BART spokesperson said.
In consequence, trains are being “single tracked” (sharing one track for trains going both ways), causing delays, BART says, of 20 minutes or more. Since West Oakland’s a pivotal area for most BART lines, all trains on all lines are suffering.
At publication time, BART didn’t have an estimate on when this issue will be resolved.