Nearly two hundred people were evacuated from an Amtrak train in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley, after authorities received reports of an armed man aboard the train.
The man alleged to be armed was first sighted by a passenger at 6:19 pm Friday night, according to news reports. As a result. passengers were evacuated and “all Metrolink service through the Chatsworth station was halted,” San Diego ABC News affiliate 10 News reported.
According to 10 News, the man remained on the train following the evacuation. He barricaded himself inside the locomotive, causing a standoff which did not end until 2:28 am Saturday. Amtrak’s Craig Schulz said “187 passengers and five crew members” were safely led off the train, and the standoff ended “without incident.”
Schulz said train service on “the 564 San Diego-bound Pacific Surfliner and the 573” were canceled for Saturday.
Following the standoff, Schulz said, “Everyone else has been accounted for and has been transported to their destinations at this point.”
The specific Amtrak line that was affected was the Pacific Surfliner, which runs from San Luis Obispo in the north to San Diego in the south. Much of the route is a scenic, coastal track that runs alongside several of Southern California’s most picturesque beaches.
In stretches, passengers enjoy views of the ocean, and even sea life, including dolphins, seals, and the occasional whale.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority eventually intends to connect Los Angeles to San Diego via Anaheim, though probably via a different, inland route.
Local commuter rail lines also service the same routes. There is no security check for passengers to pass through before boarding the train, nor are bags searched before boarding.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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