by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:29 AM ET, Thu January 4, 2018
An Amtrak train carrying more than 300 people derailed in Georgia Wednesday night due to snowy conditions caused by Winter Storm Grayson.
According to CBSNews.com, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said there were 311 passengers and an unspecified number of crew members on the train at the time of the accident, but there were no reports of injuries.
Amtrak Silver Meteor train No. 98 was traveling from Miami to New York when it entered the Savannah station at around 10 p.m. local time. One of the passengers onboard, Joel Potischman, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution an announcement was made saying a winter storm affected the tracks.
Crew members on the train said the plan was to pass the station and back into the station due to a switch on the track being frozen. As the train was backing into the Savannah station, the switch reportedly opened and caused three cars to derail.
Abrams said the three cars, identified as a baggage car and two sleeper cars, were fully upright.
Amtrak officials announced the remaining cars attached to the main train were scheduled to continue their journey north, but several passengers on the two sleeper cars had to be booked aboard a different train.
The National Weather Service revealed Savannah received 1.2 inches of snow, marking the first snow in the city that exceeded an inch in 28 years.
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