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BART says cracks on new fleet gearboxes ‘not a safety concern'
Summary by The San Francisco Editorial Desk Jaxon Van Derbeken and Jeremy Carroll , as published by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC)
· August 13, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The San Francisco Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Jaxon Van Derbeken and Jeremy Carroll, as published by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 13, 2026 Indexed here Aug 13, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway A former BART engineer has expressed concern about the cracks, citing the critical role of the gearbox in the train's operation.
Cracks have been discovered on the gearboxes of many BART Fleet of the Future train cars. These cracks have appeared after as little as one year in service. BART and the train manufacturer, Alstom, claim the cracks are not a safety concern.
They are testing a redesigned gearbox top cover that is resistant to cracks. A former BART engineer has expressed concern about the cracks, citing the critical role of the gearbox in the train's operation. Further details about the issue and the response from BART and Alstom are available from the source.
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As published by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) . The San Francisco surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: local Published: August 13, 2026 Source: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Cracks have been discovered on the gearboxes of many BART Fleet of the Future train cars. These cracks have appeared after as little as one year in service. BART and the train manufacturer, Alstom…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 13, 2026 by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) and curated for The San Francisco readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Jaxon Van Derbeken and Jeremy Carroll at NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC). To learn more about how The San Francisco selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The San Francisco, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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