Powell Street BART Station Reopens After Person Fatally Struck By Train

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Powell Street BART station has reopened Thursday afternoon after a person was fatally struck by a train, causing a station closure and major delays in both directions, transit officials said.

The station reopened for service at about 4:30 p.m. following a two and a half hour closure. Riders should expect residual delays from the accident.

At around 2 p.m., a person was reported on the tracks at the station while a train approached, and a collision may have occurred, BART spokesman Chris Filippi said.

The @SFBARTalert Twitter account posted about the emergency just after 2 p.m. Thursday.

San Francisco Fire Department officials later confirmed to KPIX that a person was struck by a train in the station. San Francisco police and BART police are also at the scene.

BART officials confirmed that the train strike was fatal at around 3:30 p.m. Witnesses told BART authorities that the person intentionally got on the tracks.

"Based on witness accounts, there is no foul play suspected and the person intentionally entered the trackway," Filippi said.

BART officials said that trains were running through the station on a single track during the station closure, but trains were not stopping at the station. The closure and single tracking are causing major delays in the East Bay and SFO/Millbrae/Daly City directions.

BART said mutual aid was available via Muni in San Francisco to get around the closure, though Muni trains were not stopping at Powell due to the emergency as well. Normal Muni service resumed after the Powell Street station reopened at 4:30 p.m.

Transbay bus service is available from AC Transit bus NL departing from the 19th Street station to San Francisco and from Salesforce Transit Center headed to 19th Street station in Oakland. BART said Muni and AC Transit will accept BART tickets as fare for the duration of the station closure.

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• San Francisco