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Passengers on an Amtrak train have been stranded in South Carolina after their train took a detour due to another train derailing.
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According to ABC News, some passengers who ran out of patience seemed to call the police.
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A train conductor overheard passengers telling them they were not being held hostage, according to videos seen by ABC News.
An Amtrak trip from Virginia to Orlando this week turned into a nightmare after passengers were kept aboard the train for more than 29 hours.
ABC News reported that the car train in question departed Virginia at 5 p.m. Monday and was due to arrive in Florida at 10 a.m. Tuesday. However, the Amtrak train was taken off its normal route after a CSX freight train collided with a vehicle on the rails during the South Carolina portion of the journey, forcing the Amtrak Auto Train to be diverted off course, ABC News reported. .
This was just the beginning of the mess: Amtrak passenger train travel was then halted in South Carolina. Passengers had to wait for a certified backup crew because there are specific crews that can operate Auto Trains, according to ABC News. In addition, safety laws determine how many hours train employees are allowed to work.
Late Tuesday night, ABC News journalist Sam Sweeney tweeted that passengers were “trapped on board for more than 29 hours.” Local ABC affiliate WPDE reported that the train started moving again just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night.
Some passengers who ran out of patience with Amtrak after being delayed for hours also appeared to have called police, ABC News reported.
Sweeney posted a video on Twitter in which a train conductor could be heard over the loudspeaker: “For those of you calling the police, we are not holding you hostage. We are giving you all the information we have. We are sorry about the inconvenience. As soon as there is more information is available, we will let you know soon.”
It is not clear how many passengers are on the train. Amtrak representatives did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
In a statement to local news outlet WIS-TV earlier in the evening, Amtrak said:
“Tuesday’s southbound Amtrak Auto Train has been hit by significant delays due to a CSX freight derailment in South Carolina. The train has deviated from its normal route to continue southbound and is currently at a standstill in Denmark, SC, while waiting for a new crew to arrive Customers have been provided with meals, snack packs and drinks.
“A new crew will travel to Denmark to board the train and work on board when the service resumes. A new crew is needed because the previous crew’s hours of service have expired.”
Some Twitter users also tweeted angry messages to Amtrak, urging the company to fix the problem and get the train moving.
“Hey @Amtrak, my parents were trapped on the car train leaving Lorton around 5pm yesterday. I need some answers – food is limited, bathroom facilities are filthy and children/elderly are on board. They were supposed to arrive almost 12 hours ago ,” wrote a Twitter user named Caitlyn Crowley on Tuesday night.
“Do you have assistance on the way to the fully booked Amtrak car train full of elderly passengers that is now almost 10 hours past arrival? No food, no access to medical care, crew disembarked, no replacement. Stuck in SC,” said one Twitter user with the ID SoBeana wrote also on tuesday evening.
Other Twitter users appealed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for helpwhile others pointed to the “deplorable” circumstances on the train.
Amtrak told ABC News late Tuesday that train crews were “working with pet owners to provide restroom breaks.”
“We have provided customers with regular updates along with meals, snack packs and drinks,” the company told ABC News.
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