S.F. Railway Service Restored After Crash

Full service was restored to the San Francisco Municipal Railway train lines Monday morning after a train crash inside a tunnel that injured a driver and several passengers.

A train stalled on the westbound tracks inside a tunnel near the Castro Street station and was rear-ended by another train, said Muni spokesman Alan Siegel. The driver of the second train was trapped for a brief time but was rescued by firefighters Sunday afternoon.

The driver, whose identity was not disclosed, suffered injured ribs and a broken nose. At least eight passengers were taken to hospitals, where they were treated for cuts and bruises and released, officials said.

“We were surprised there weren’t any more injuries to the passengers,” said Assistant Fire Chief Bill Richardson.

“There was a lot of smoke,” said Lan Kwang Lam, 60, who was returning home from a tea with friends in Chinatown. “I was real scared. I thought it was going to explode.”

It was unclear how fast the train was moving at the time of the crash, he said. Muni is continuing its investigation.

“At this point, we don’t know the actual cause of the accident,” Siegel said.