A Amtrak train caught fire in Charlotte prompting passengers to be evacuated due to smoke inhalation. Amtrak can be sued for this
On May 9, 2026 a Amtrak train caught on fire in Charlotte, NC. The train had 124 passengers aboard. Follow Charlotte Alerts on Instagram.
An Amtrak was near uptown Charlotte when smoke began to fill the train cabins. Passengers and crew members begin to have trouble breathing and the train had an emergency stop.
Fire crews and emergency personnel were called. The train passengers 124 total were evacuated from the train, some with luggage in hand. Passengers had to walk in wooded areas with snakes, creatures, and bugs to get to the main road.
When firefighters searched the train for the smoke source, it was discovered that the brakes were on fire. The smoke from the brake fire is what filled the train compartments.
Firefighters put out the fire. A bus and Uber rides were used to shuttle the passengers to the train station. Passengers had to wait hours for another train to arrive.
Moments like this lead to big lawsuits, because Amtrak is responsible for the safety and care of their passengers on their trains. Class action lawsuits could arise or individual lawsuits.
Either way Amtrak will have to pay up.
