The derailment of a freight train and a crew change caused an Amtrak passenger train headed for Florida that had started in Virginia to be delayed for over a day, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in rural South Carolina for hours with few options.
The journey on the southbound Amtrak car train, which left Lorton, Virginia, on Monday evening, was supposed to take 17 hours, but an extra 20 hours were added before it arrived in Sanford, Florida, on Wednesday morning.
A train employee was seen saying, “We are not keeping you, hostage,” in a video shared on social media after several passengers reportedly called the police to complain about the delay.
The Amtrak train was forced to divert from its intended course due to a CSX freight derailment, and the train was delayed further in Denmark, South Carolina, when a crew change was necessary since the previous crew’s hours had run out, according to Amtrak.
Vehicle carriers on the auto train allow passengers to travel with their automobiles, vans, and SUVs. According to Amtrak, it carried 563 passengers and 350 vehicles on the journey.
According to Amtrak, customers received regular updates, meals, snack packs, and beverages. “During the excursion, other food from nearby restaurants was also provided.
The onboard personnel coordinated bathroom breaks with pet owners.
Late on Monday, a CSX train derailed 25 rail cars and two locomotives in Lake City, South Carolina, after colliding with an abandoned vehicle on the tracks, the company stated in a statement.
It wasn’t until Tuesday night that the way was cleaned.
No one on the train’s crew was hurt, and no hazardous materials were present, according to CSX.
TRAPPED ON A TRAIN: Passengers on an Amtrak train were left stranded on a rural stretch of track for 29 hours. ABC’s Andrea Fujii explains why. pic.twitter.com/rp5Mb0gUJ8
— ABC World News Now (@abcWNN) January 11, 2023
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