American Dream

washingtonpost.com
Amtrak Train's Interminable Journey
Riders on Florida to New York Line Weather 14 Hours of Delays

By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 15, 2005; B04

Quotes:

A ride home this weekend on an Amtrak train from Florida to Virginia left Deanna Weaver's 5 1/2 -year-old daughters begging to take a plane next time.

Train No. 92, which originated in Miami and ended in New York, was more than 14 hours late to Washington and other destinations yesterday after a slew of unscheduled stops.

The train, according to passengers and an Amtrak official, was delayed because of engine problems, the ouster of an inebriated passenger, the evacuation of a sick rider, repair work on track signals and a pedestrian who wandered onto the tracks between Jacksonville, Fla., and Savannah, Ga., and was struck by the train.

There were conflicting reports among Amtrak officials and passengers about the incident, but the man appears to have survived.

On the train, tempers flared, bathrooms reeked and food supplies dwindled, passengers said.

"I planned this as an educational experience for my girls," said Weaver, who lives in Fairfax Station and boarded in Orlando after visiting Walt Disney World with her daughters. "I wanted to teach them about the states and give them the experience of traveling on a train instead of a plane. It was an experience, all right."

© 2005 The Washington Post Company