37-Hour Amtrak Train Delay Leaves Passengers Calling 911 Over Hostage Fears

An Amtrak train reportedly got stranded for 37 hours in South Carolina Monday, which resulted in passengers panicking and calling 911 due to fear of being held captive.

The Auto Train left Virginia at 5:00 p.m. Monday and was supposed to reach Orlando, Florida, by 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. However, it was forced to change course after a CSX freight train hit a vehicle left on the tracks in South Carolina shortly before 11:00 p.m. Monday, CSX said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Auto Train service on Tuesday got canceled, while Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains that departed on Monday operated on a detour and missed stops due to the derailment, Amtrak said.

The Amtrak train was thrown off its original route and experienced "significant delays." It was stopped in Denmark, South Carolina, awaiting the arrival of a new crew, Amtrak told ABC News.

"The train was detoured off its normal route in order to continue operating south," Amtrak said. Despite Amtrak claiming to have provided ample updates to its passengers, they still apparently tried reaching out to 911 when the train was stuck in rural South Carolina, based on videos taken aboard the train.

"For those of you that are calling the police, we are not holding you hostage," a conductor said over the loudspeaker. "We are giving you all the information in which we have. We are sorry about the inconvenience." The conductor also asked passengers not to open their windows and not smoke on the train, the New York Post reported.

After nearly 20 hours of delay, the 563 passengers and 333 vehicles were able to leave the train Wednesday morning after the train pulled into the station in Sanford, Florida, concluding the 37-hour travel saga.

In a statement, Amtrak said it had given "regular updates to customers, along with meals, snack packs, and beverages." The train's staff also worked with pet owners to provide "bathroom breaks."