Muni subway reopens after all-day crisis

Update: Just before 6 p.m. SFMTA announced that outbound trains were running through the subway again, although another malfunction at Van Ness Station meant that full service wasn’t restored until after 6:30.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) warned riders Friday morning that subway service was suspended because of a mechanical failure, leaving the agency to fill in service gaps with shuttle buses during busy commute hours.

At 6:40 a.m. on Friday, SFMTA said via Twitter “Subway service delayed due to overhead power loss between Powell and Civic Center stations.”

Muni began turning inbound light rail trains away at tunnel entrances and deploying more buses to try to make up for lost service on Market Street. BART is offering free transfers to Muni riders between SF stations to simulate Muni service.

As of noon, most Muni subway service remains suspended. The city has posted a list of potential substitute routes for commuters, but riders should expect delays and crowding on the highlighted bus lines.

The breakdown came on the same day that a broken streetcar held up service on the J Church line and a similarly stalled train briefly paralyzed the N Line.

The mechanical jinx caps off a week that saw Muni service even spottier than usual as many bus and train drivers opted not to work customary overtime hours.

This is a developing story, we will update as service changes.