NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Dozens of Amtrak passengers endured hours of extreme heat aboard a stalled train in Nassau County on Sunday, with no electricity or air conditioning, and temperatures reportedly soaring to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Several people were reportedly treated for heat-related issues, and at least some were hospitalized, according to passengers.
Chris Brockett, who was on board the Floridian Train No. 41, spoke to Action News Jax and described increasingly dangerous conditions inside the train.
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“After four to five hours, and we said we are getting off,” Brockett said.
The train had departed from Chicago and was bound for Miami before it came to a complete stop north of Hilliard. Brockett, along with other passengers, sought help from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and Nassau County Fire Rescue.
“The train is extremely hot. There is no power, and none of the toilets work. It’s becoming very uncomfortable inside—it’s probably 95-plus degrees,” he said. “The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office did a wellness check on everyone. I asked, ‘Can we get off?’ and they said, ‘You can get off, but you won’t be allowed back on—it’s your choice.’ We said, ‘Get us off.’”
He added that he witnessed multiple people being treated for heat-related symptoms.
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“I was concerned about people who had high blood pressure,” Brockett explained. “That’s why they were making sure that people had, their medication, they were trying to get them to cool off, and bring them water.”
According to Brockett, the train had stopped around 10:30 a.m., and passengers had initially been told a replacement engineer would be arriving shortly.
“We were told it was an engineer who had been over his allotment of hours, and they’re going to be bringing in another engineer very quickly and will be back on the route in no time,” he said. “That never happened.”
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The delay forced passengers to endure the heat inside the unpowered train for much of the day. One passenger estimated there were 200 to 300 people on board.
Help finally arrived hours later when five Jacksonville Transportation Authority shuttle buses were dispatched to transport passengers, including members of Boy Scout Troop 505. Emotional scenes unfolded as some scouts were seen embracing one another after the ordeal.
Around 5:00 p.m., the train was seen moving again, although it remained unclear how many passengers were still on board or how far the train had progressed.
Action News Jax reached out to Amtrak for a statement, but the company has not yet responded.
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