WASHINGTON — Amtrak passengers experienced delays Thursday morning due to an investigation surrounding a suspicious package on a train headed from Richmond to D.C.
The Fredericksburg Police Department reports an Amtrak train conductor called police after engaging with a passenger who said he wanted to leave his luggage on the station platform, and not carry it with him on the train.
The passenger eventually agreed to take his luggage, but the conductor felt the passenger’s behavior was suspicious and contacted law enforcement around 7 a.m.
According to police, the conductor requested passengers exit the train when the train arrived at the Fredericksburg Train Station in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The passenger carrying the suspicious package remained on the train until 9:15 a.m., when he exited voluntarily with his luggage.
After an investigation, it was determined the luggage did not contain any suspicious items.
The suspect was taken to Fredericksburg Police Department headquarters for questioning and was later released.
The investigation forced Virginia Railway Express to cancel Train 312 Thursday morning.
1:43 p.m. UPDATE: The canceled 311 Train in the afternoon is unrelated to this incident. In the afternoon, Train 311, set to depart Union Station at 6 p.m., is canceled. Riders can opt for Train 309, which will depart Union Station at 5:15 p.m., or Train 313, which will depart Union Station at 6:40 p.m.
