(The Associated Press circulated the following article on August 1.)
DELAND, Fla. — Officials say a sinkhole that opened under railroad tracks in central Florida caused delays for five Amtrak trains, affecting hundreds of people.
Officials say the sinkhole opened up just north of DeLand under CSX Transportation tracks used by Amtrak.
A spokesman for Jacksonville-based CSX says 25 trains scheduled to use the tracks today will be rerouted.
Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell say 130 people aboard the Sunset Limited train from Orlando to New Orleans yesterday were being taken from Florida to their final destination by bus.
A southbound train carrying 267 people from New York to Miami was stopped just north of DeLand. Those passengers were being bused to Miami.
Three trains were being detoured between Lakeland and Jacksonville. They were the Auto Train carrying 365 passengers from Sanford to Lorton, Virginia.; the Silver Star carrying 235 people to New York; and the Silver Meteor carrying 215 people to New York.