Amtrak issued an apology after 110 passengers were left stranded at Washington Union Station after their boarding gate was never opened.
“On Dec. 26, Amtrak train 66 traveling from Roanoke, Va., to New York departed Washington Union Station before all passengers were able to board. Amtrak sincerely apologizes for the miscommunication that resulted in customers missing their train,” a representative from Amtrak told Fox News Digital.
“We provided customers service on the next train, food and beverages, hotel accommodations and full refunds,” said the representative.
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The snafu was first reported on Reddit’s r/Amtrak subreddit in the early morning hours of December 27.
“NE regional left without 100 passengers from DC,” wrote Reddit user and would-be passenger on Amtrak train 66 “PreparationDry8083.”
Amtrak apologized after leaving 110 passengers in Washington Union Station. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
In the post, PreparationDry8083 explained that the train was supposed to board at 10 p.m., and that passengers got in line at 9:40 p.m. after receiving a text that it was time to board.
“10:15 train says it’s departed, 100 of us are still waiting for the gate to open,” said PreparationDry8083. At 11 p.m., the station manager “said the train left because no one came down to board.”
At Washington Union Station, Amtrak passengers are not permitted on to the platform prior to a set boarding time, and passengers’ tickets are checked prior to boarding – similar to the process for boarding an airline.
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In an update post later on December 27, PreparationDry8083 provided additional details about the botched boarding procedure and what had happened.
The boarding gate was never opened, said PreparationDry8083, and the doors were roped off with a sign in front of them.
“Not exactly intuitive to go through,” the Reddit user wrote. “The whole process felt like boarding at an airport. I don’t think anyone wanted to stir up trouble with station police in eyesight.”
I don’t think anyone wanted to stir up trouble with station police in eyesight.
The train had already been delayed, said PreparationDry8083, and other passengers thought it had been delayed further.
“When the delayed departure time came up on us, I think a lot of people just assumed Amtrak was running behind again,” the user wrote.
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A total of 110 passengers were left behind, said PreparationDry8083.
“I think many people were worried that if they got out of line to search an empty station for a worker, that the boarding process would come and go without them,” PreparationDry8083 wrote, adding that the station police were “just as bewildered” as the left-behind passengers.
The Reddit user wrote that everyone was confused and assumed their train had been delayed – until they got a message saying it had departed. (Associated Press)
Fox News Digital reached out to PerparationDry8083 for additional comment.
On Reddit, users were shocked at how a number of passengers could be left behind.
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“DC is a flagship station. They should expect passengers. That the conductor didn’t ask where the passengers were is a huge problem,” said user “WickedJigglyPuff,” adding “Amtrak should have a list of stations that can’t be left without passengers boarding.”
Reddit users wondered why the Amtrak employees did not seem confused that nobody was boarding the train at a major stop. (Google Maps)
“What a mess. Hopefully someone is fired. But glad you were compensated in the end,” said “throwaway3113151.”
Throwaway3113151 continued, saying, “It’s absolutely insane that Amtrak makes everyone wait in huge lines. There’s no reason they can’t operate like high-speed trains in Europe, where the platform is open. But it’s Amtrak and mediocre seems to be par for the course.”
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Amtrak did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding amending the boarding process at Washington Union Station in light of this incident.
