BART Train Cars De-Rail, Catch Fire In Orinda; Several Injured Monday

Two BART cars in an eastbound train traveling between Central Orinda and St. Stephens derailed and caught fire early Monday, prompting a massive emergency response from BART and local police and fire.

The incident was reported at approximately 9:12 a.m. Though the incident was in its early stages, officials quickly ramped up their response to 2-Alarms.

There is an initial report of three persons injured including a young woman with a head injury being treated by first responders at a triage point at Orinda BART. Two men suffered injuries to the extremities, apparently incurred while attempting to escape the trains. Ultimately, about ten people were treated for a variety of injuries, all minor.

While some riders returned to Orinda BART – in some cases for treatment, in others for rides – many others opted to walk on to Lafayette station, which also closed following the crash.

BART officials said the derailment occurred when the train passed over the track-switching complex just east of the station, the train’s operator ordered to stop and manually throw a switch that train control’s remote equipment was unable to activate.

Transit officials brought in a crane to lift the train back onto the rails so it could be moved. BART spokesperson Jim Allison said the damaged section of track should be repaired and inspected prior to the resumption of train traffic by Wednesday.