563 Passengers Stranded on Amtrak Train for More Than 20 Hours in South Carolina
Getty Images Amtrak train
More than 500 passengers onboard an Amtrak Auto Train just experienced the journey of a lifetime — for all the wrong reasons.
The train, which left Lorton, Virginia, at 5:30 p.m. Monday on a nonstop schedule with 563 people and 333 vehicles, was scheduled to arrive in Sanford, Florida, at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, reported The Washington Post.
Unfortunately, it was diverted due to the derailment of a CSX freight train in South Carolina and then came to a halt in a wooded area near the city of Denmark in Bamberg County — where it remained for 20 hours.
"Just before 11:00 p.m. Monday, a CSX freight train came in contact with an unoccupied vehicle on the tracks at Charles Street in Lake City, S.C., resulting in the derailment of 25 rail cars and two locomotives, which remained upright," CSX said in a statement.
"There were no injuries to the crew of the train and no hazardous materials involved. CSX crews are on site working to safely clear the tracks and restore the area."
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Getty Images Amtrak train
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Washington, D.C.'s ABC 7 reported that passengers had to endure the long wait because the Amtrak crew was timed out and not legally able to run the train. So their only option was to sit tight until a certified backup crew arrived.
Despite this, passengers began to take matters into their own hands by calling 911 from the train during the delay, reported ABC News, citing onboard footage in which a conductor can be heard asking people to stop calling the authorities.
"For those of you that are calling the police, we are not holding you hostage," the Amtrack staffer can be heard over the loudspeaker. "We are giving you all the information which we have. We are sorry about the inconvenience."
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ABC News reported the conductor could also be heard telling people not to open their windows to smoke on the train.
According to ABC 7, the Amtrak Auto Train is special in that it requires passengers to bring a car with them on the train. Many passengers book rooms with chairs that fold into beds while others book traditional seats, the outlet added.
An Amtrak spokesperson told the outlet Wednesday that passengers were given regular updates, plus meals, snack packs and beverages, and that food from local businesses was provided during the trip. Despite this, ABC7 noted the train was stocked with a limited food supply of just 1.5 meals per passenger.
