On Sunday, June 29, 2025, an Amtrak train bound for Miami experienced a loss of power, leaving passengers, including a Boy and Girl Scout troop, stranded in the heat. The incident happened in Nassau County, Florida, just north of Jacksonville. According to News4JAX, sixteen individuals required treatment and four were transported to the hospital due to "heat-related issues." Nassau County Fire Rescue, who admitted the affected individuals to the hospital, also provided essential relief in the form of water and ice for the train's occupants.
Amtrak Train 41, carrying 219 passengers, was scheduled to make a stop in Jacksonville amongst other cities. Desperate to provide an alternative, Amtrak managed to quickly source bus transportation for the displaced passengers around 3:45 p.m., as noted in a statement to Trains News Wire. Social media posts from passengers on board detailed extreme temperatures, with claims of the interior surpassing 120 degrees.
Sarah Hollibaugh, a parent of two children on the train with their Scout troop, described the situation as escalating "into body temperatures and everything heating." In an interview with News4JAX, she recounted her son beginning to feel dizzy and turning "white as a ghost," a clear indication of heat exhaustion. Furthermore, Local 10 News reported that first responders provided medical aid and utilized misting fans once passengers were off the heated train.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority contributed to the response efforts by dispatching five buses to transport passengers from the breakdown site to the Jacksonville Amtrak station. In the midst of the immediate emergency response, Amtrak was already arranging refunds and travel vouchers for all affected customers, acknowledged in a statement provided to News4JAX. The company confirmed that, following the assistance from a rescue engine, 174 customers boarded the buses while 72 chose to stay on board the train.
Details of the incident and ongoing developments are continuously being updated as more information becomes available to the press and the public. The coordinated response by Amtrak, local EMS, The Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and Nassau County Fire Rescue highlighted the urgency of the situation under Florida's harsh heat. Emergency responders' efforts undeniably mitigated the dangers presented by the sudden loss of power on Train 41.
