Bay Fair station looked a little more like a movie set than a commute hub this week, as BART Police led a multi-agency emergency drill ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Yesterday, the department shared photos of the action, showing uniformed officers, firefighters and federal responders running through crowd-control, command and life-safety scenarios at the East Bay station, which serves thousands of riders every day. The exercises stretched across several days as agencies walked through how they would respond if things went sideways during tournament crowds.
Agencies Team Up On Crowd Safety And Radiation Drills
According to the BART Police Department on Facebook, the drills at Bay Fair brought together BART officers, Oakland Fire Department, Alameda County Fire, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army, and members of the Lawrence Livermore Radiological Assistance Program. Fire life-safety teams coordinated three days of exercises, while BART training and transportation personnel worked under a unified command.
The post notes that BART’s Capital Asset Protection team trained with personal radiation detectors during the drills and credits incident command photographers for the images. It also states that BART is planning a special limited-express service after midnight for evening World Cup matches so late-night crowds can clear out more quickly.
BART’s Game Plan For World Cup Crowds
BART has published an online guide spelling out how to ride to matches, watch parties and fan zones. According to BART’s FIFA guidance, riders can expect longer trains, extra staff and security, and added directional signs and lighting in the busiest stations to help visitors and occasional riders figure out where they are going…