Amtrak Train Derails Near Union Station

Nearly 200 people were on board an Amtrak train on Thursday when the engine derailed. News4’s Adam Tuss tells what happened, and talked with passengers.

An Amtrak train derailed near D.C.'s Union Station on Thursday with nearly 200 people on board, officials say. No injuries were reported.

The lead engine of the train derailed at about noon as it headed into the station at low speed, a spokeswoman said. 

The nine-passenger-car train stayed upright and no one was hurt, Amtrak said.

"All we heard was a loud noise, and then we felt it," one passenger said. "Then the fire department and everybody stormed the train. People were freaking out, wondering what was going on. And that's when the conductor told us, 'Stay calm. Everything's fine.'"

"I was actually standing up, getting my luggage down, and almost lost my balance," another passenger said.

The 198 passengers and crew members on board were made to wait on the train for more than an hour after the incident. 

The train left New Orleans on Wednesday and had been headed to New York. It eventually continued on its way, with a different engine pulling it. 

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The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The incident disrupted VRE train service. VRE said passengers for Fredericksburg Line train 301 and Manassas Line train 325 should head to L'Enfant Plaza to board, not Union Station. 

An Amtrak spokeswoman initially said 298 people were on board the train. 

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.

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