Florida Wildfires Strand Amtrak Silver Meteor Passengers Nearly 24 Hours
Hundreds of Amtrak passengers were stranded for nearly 24 hours on a Florida train halted by wildfires near the Clay-Putnam county line. The train, identified by Amtrak as Train 98, was delayed in DeLand before ultimately returning to Miami with 232 passengers aboard. Amtrak said the stoppage was caused by two brush fires near the Clay County-Putnam County line in northern Florida.
Passengers reported overflowing and unusable bathrooms and said food access became a concern during roughly 10 additional hours stopped on the tracks. Amtrak said customers were given snacks, drinks and lounge-car food during the delay and more food when the train reached Orlando, and the carrier pledged full refunds and travel vouchers. Most service has since resumed, Amtrak added, though two trains remained affected during the disruption. The episode drew attention on social platforms and local TV, where reporting helped document conditions on board and passenger frustration with the long delay.
📌 Key Facts
- Amtrak Train 98 (Silver Meteor) returned to Miami with 232 passengers after being delayed in Deland, Florida.
- The delay stemmed from two brush fires near the Clay County–Putnam County line in northern Florida.
- Passengers were stopped on the tracks for roughly an additional 10 hours and reported overflowing, unusable bathrooms and concerns about access to food.
- Amtrak and local TV reporting said passengers were given snacks, drinks and lounge‑car food during the delay, with additional food provided once the train reached Orlando.
- Amtrak pledged full refunds and travel vouchers for all customers on the affected train.
- Amtrak said most service has since resumed, though two trains remained affected.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Amtrak said Train 98 returned to Miami with 232 passengers onboard after being delayed in Deland, Florida.
- The delay stemmed from two brush fires near the Clay County-Putnam County line in northern Florida.
- Passengers reported overflowing and unusable bathrooms and concerns about food access during roughly 10 additional hours stopped on the tracks.
- Amtrak pledged full refunds and travel vouchers for all customers on the affected train, and said most service has since resumed though two trains remain affected.
- Passengers received snacks, drinks and lounge-car food during the delay, with additional food provided once the train reached Orlando, according to local TV reporting.