BART said changes made after 2019 power outage would prevent future incidents. Why it happened again

BART experienced a significant power outage that raised concerns about its reliability, despite prior upgrades intended to prevent such occurrences. The agency had implemented improvements, including enhanced network infrastructure and a backup recovery center, following a similar incident in 2019. Alicia Trost, BART's Chief Communications Officer, noted that the latest outage stemmed from communication issues among network devices, particularly in the redundant system. Debora Allen, a former member of the BART Board of Directors, expressed frustration over the agency's slow response to these recurring issues. BART officials pledged to conduct a thorough investigation to understand the cause and prevent future outages.

The agency has a comprehensive upgrade project in progress, expected to take ten years to complete. This incident reflects ongoing challenges in maintaining reliable public transportation systems in the Bay Area. BART's ability to restore service quickly will be crucial in maintaining rider confidence moving forward.