RICHMOND, Va. -- The vandalization of a freight train was responsible for multiple Amtrak delays on Wednesday, according to a source.
A northbound Amtrak train was held up at Main Street Station in Richmond.
The Northeast Regional, train 94, had 177 passengers on board when it was delayed at the station.
Southbound passengers were stuck at the Staples Mill station. The issue was somewhere in between the two stations.
A freight train connector had to be replaced, a source said. When it was repaired, and employees went to move the train, it separated due to a problem with another part. It appeared the issue was due to vandalism, a source said.
The train has to be repaired and connected before it can move on, the source said.
Amtrak worked on getting passengers onboard buses and to take trains to other cities.
A man whose wife is on the train said that train 94 departed Williamsburg at 9:37 a.m. Wednesday.
People stuck at Main Street Station were bussed over to Staples Mill Station. CBS 6 found many of them, an hour later, still waiting on the next leg of their journey.
"Passengers are getting off the train on their own and finding other transportation," Mario wrote to CBS 6. "Communication from Amtrak is poor. They have not told the passenger when busses will arrive or where they will be taken to."
"Amtrak continues to charge for food and drinks and has not made any refunds," he said.
Another woman headed to Maryland felt Amtrak had been good at communicating with them.
Amtrak officials said at the time they were holding until the situation is resolved. By 6 p.m. the issue on the track appeared resolved.
People stuck at Main Street Station were bussed over to Staples Mill Station. CBS 6 found many of them, an hour later, still waiting on the next leg of their journey.
CBS 6 reached out to CSX Transportation about the situation and they sent a statement that read:
"A CSX train traveling from Richmond, VA to Georgetown, SC has been experiencing a series of mechanical malfunctions near Hermitage Road beginning at 9:30 a.m. today. The train consists of five locomotives and 220 cars carrying mixed freight. CSX representatives responded this morning to evaluate the train’s condition and have been working to remedy the malfunctions throughout the day. They are also coordinating with Amtrak to minimize the impact to passengers and the local community."
"Safety is a core value at CSX and it is the foundation for every operational decision we make. While trained personnel evaluated the malfunctioning portion of the train, the CSX train was decoupled and half of it was inspected and then moved south. The remainder of the train is currently being prepared to travel north as soon as possible. We appreciate the patience of the Richmond residents and delayed Amtrak passengers as we work to safely remedy the malfunction and move the train as quickly as possible."
