Atlanta – Passengers say the Amtrak train has been stuck on the tracks for about 40 hours. A winter storm delayed their journey.
The Amtrak Crescent on its way from New Orleans to New York on Sunday was stranded north of Lynchburg, Virginia on Monday. The train returned to Lynchburg and remained there until it headed north again late Tuesday.
Sean Thornton, of Richmond, Virginia, traveled by crescent and boarded the train with his daughter when he stopped in Atlanta on Sunday. Thorntons was on his way to visit friends in Atlanta for the holidays, and the train was expected to arrive in Charlottesville at 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Thornton said the problem started when the train did not arrive Sunday night and left for Atlanta at 2 a.m. Monday.
Over the course of the day, he said, there were problems along the way.
“As the train continued on its tracks … we were not informed of anything by Amtrak,” Thornton said. “Eventually we stopped moving … we were in the reception area for cell phone service and train wifi. As a result, no one was able to communicate with loved ones or hotels in the evening.
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To make matters worse, Thornton said Amtrak staff announced there was no food at 5 p.m. He also said he heard there were toilets in the main cabin.
“At some point during the evening, a very angry female employee entered the PA system and yelled at her to stop complaining to the staff and call Amtrak headquarters instead. He pointed out that employees also have complaints and that employees would appreciate if customers told management about their experience. It was very shocking, “said Thornton.
At midnight, Thornton said the train was slowly moving backwards behind the train station in Lynchburg.
“Passengers are not told to stay overnight on the train. We’re all waiting for some sort of organization to hear what they would do with us, and we slept anywhere, ”Thornton said. “In the evening one of the passengers brought water to the train and arranged for someone to go around it. At about 10 a.m. this morning someone went and bought a McDonald’s bunch and passed around the train.
Thornton said they were waiting for Amtrak inspectors to come out and see the train on Tuesday. They said there was no talk of alternative transportation to take them to their destination in this situation.
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Channel 2 Action News They contracted with Amtrak for a comment and sent a statement:
“The Amtrak train, which left New Orleans on January 2, was stopped north of Lynchburg, W. due to the current weather conditions.
According to travelers, it reached its destination in Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to the Associated Press, several New York-New Orleans crescents departing on Tuesday have been canceled.
On Tuesday, Amtrak canceled two directions of Piedmont running between Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina, the Palmetto from Savannah in Georgia to New York, and the northbound auto train operating from Sanford, Florida. Lorton, Virginia.
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