Amtrak travelers heading to Sanford, Florida from Lorton, Virginia on Monday night spent a lot more time on the rails than they bargained for, when Auto Train 53 arrived at its final destination more than 20 hours later than scheduled.
The train left Fairfax County, Virginia about 5 p.m. Monday, with an expected arrival time of 10 a.m. Tuesday. But the train didn't pull into the Florida station until about 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday -- meaning passengers spent over 36 hours on the train in total.
The immense delay was caused by a freight train with at least 20 cars that derailed in Lake City, South Carolina at about 8 p.m. on Monday. No one was injured in the derailment, but the blockage on the tracks left Auto Train 53 passengers stopped overnight in Hamlet, North Carolina.
At 8 a.m. on Tuesday -- two hours before passengers should have arrived in Sanford -- Auto Train 53 started moving again.
Then, at 3 p.m. Tuesday, the train stopped a second time in Denmark, North Carolina. The long delay meant the Amtrak crew had timed out of their shifts, and could not continue working.
The train restarted its journey again late on Tuesday, after a new Amtrak crew boarded at least six hours later than expected. Passengers finally arrived in Sanford just before 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Colleen McKenna, a student at the University of Miami from North Potomac, Maryland, was frustrated that her journey back to school for the start of the spring semester was so delayed, and criticized Amtrak's handling of the situation.
According to McKenna, the only update Amtrak gave her during the hours they spent in Denmark, North Carolina was a written notice that read "Your new crew is estimated to arrive in approximately two hours. We apologize for the extended delay and appreciate your extended patience."
"That's the only update. They don't say what we're going to do after that," McKenna said in a video interview from the train. "I'm supposed to meet my parents in Miami, so they've been there all day already waiting to move me in. So it's just me, stuck here."
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After arriving in Sanford Wednesday morning, McKenna told News4 she hopes this never happens to her again.
Amtrak has not replied to numerous requests for comment by phone and by email as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
