Amtrak suspends Florida routes as wildfires strand passengers

Amtrak Florida wildfire disruption forced service suspensions on several routes this week. The disruption came as brush fires burned near the tracks in central Florida. It followed last month’s Northeast Corridor problems tied to “impassable rail.” This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Also, some passengers remained on trains for more than a day. Crews waited for safe conditions. Meanwhile, the delays affected trains across key parts of Florida’s rail corridor. That included the 1,300-mile Silver Meteor route between New York City and Miami. They also led to cancellations at several stations as emergency responders worked nearby.

Amtrak Florida wildfire disruption hits major routes

Meanwhile, Fox 35 reported that wildfires near tracks in central Florida affected the Auto Train. They also affected other passenger services linking the state to the Northeast corridor. Amtrak temporarily stopped trains from moving through the affected areas. Smoke and fire activity made conditions unsafe for rail operations.

Separately, the two fires involved were:

• Crews Road Fire: Northern side in Clay County (1,700 acres, 0% containment).
• Railroad Complex Fire: Southern side of Putnam County (1,000 acres, 5% containment).

In a post on X, Amtrak said, “Auto Trains 52 and 53, which departed Sanford (SFA)/Lorton (LOR) on 4/19, are canceled.” The company added, “Customers will be returned back to their points or origins. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.”

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At the same time, service on the Silver Meteor and Floridian lines was also disrupted. Silver Meteor trains 97 and 98 were halted on Monday. Their origin point was moved to Jacksonville. Train 97’s Tuesday departure was canceled. Floridian trains 40 and 41 also had their departure and end points adjusted to Savannah, Georgia. Tuesday’s departure of train 41 was canceled. That meant some trains were no longer running their full route through Florida.

Stranded passengers on train 98

In addition, Amtrak provided limited bus service on Monday. It was for passengers affected on the Silver Meteor and Floridian routes. But those on train 98 faced a much longer interruption.

CBS News reported that passengers aboard train 98 were stranded for more than 24 hours. The train was halted near DeLand, Florida. Later, it was determined that it would have to return to Miami. Still, passengers said updates were delayed and communication on board was unclear.

For example, passenger John Reardon spoke to CBS News. He said he had been on the train for around 38 hours. “Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”

Also, passengers described a lack of communication from Amtrak crew. Jordan Harrington, speaking with WRAL News, said people on board were left “in distress.” Harrington also described passengers as “trauma bonding.”

“There’s people in here that got kids; I know there’s a lady that said she’s running out of formula, like she’s got one Pampers left,” Harrington said.

A Reddit user who said they were trapped on the train wrote, “Passengers are exhausted, angry, and restless. The bathrooms are overflowing and unusable, creating a serious sanitation issue. There is poop and pee, overflowing. People are getting desperate and tensions are rising.”

Eventually, some passengers began getting off the train on their own. The train had left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday. It did not return there until about 9 p.m. on Monday.

Refunds and travel vouchers after route cancellations

Amtrak later issued a statement on the status of train 98, which had 232 passengers onboard:

“For the safety of our passengers, train 98 is currently stopped north of DeLand, Fla with 232 passengers onboard. Crews are working to get the train back on the move as quickly as possible to return to Miami, Fla. Customers onboard have been provided snack packs, beverages, and food from the lounge car and when the train arrives in Orlando, passengers will be served pizza. Customers traveling on this train will also receive full refunds and Amtrak travel vouchers.”

Still, many passengers said the response may not have made up for the experience. Riders described unsanitary conditions and health complications among passengers. They also said Amtrak kept charging for food during the earlier part of the disruption.

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