IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Computer issues shut down what major commuter rail network on Friday morning?

Answer: Bay Area Rapid Transit.

Blurry image of a public transit station.
It hasn’t been a good week for transportation systems. Air traffic control radar outages plaguing Newark Airport in New York made headlines multiple times, but that wasn’t the only technological system that struggled to move people this week. All the way across the country, network problems also shut down a major commuter rail system.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) serves as the main commuter rail system for California’s Bay Area, which includes San Francisco. All BART trains were shut down for several hours on Friday morning due to a “computer networking” problem, leaving scores of commuters scrambling for another way into the city. BART sees more than 170,000 passengers on weekdays, the majority of whom are commuters.

According to the New York Times, a BART spokesperson said there was a problem with powering the train control system. BART spokesperson Chris Filippi confirmed in a statement that all 50 BART stations were affected by the computer problems. Full service was restored at about 9 a.m. local time, though passengers were warned to still expect major delays.
Sign up for GovTech Today

Delivered daily to your inbox to stay on top of the latest state & local government technology trends.