New Orleans Bound Amtrak Train With More Than 100 People Aboard Gets in Nasty Collision With an 18-Wheeler in Texas

Passengers and crew members aboard a long-haul Amtrak train ride had a fairly terrifying experience after the train hit an 18-wheeler truck while passing through Texas. On March 17, the train traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans came into contact with the truck's green trailer.

TODAY reported that Amtrak said in a statement: “A vehicle came into contact with the train on Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Houston.”

The incident occurred in Missouri City, which is about 20 minutes outside Houston. Aboard were just over 90 passengers and 11 crew members, and luckily none of them were seriously injured. The driver of the truck was reportedly uninjured as well. There were, however, two people who had to be treated for minor injuries on the scene.

Though the train was not derailed, the truck was capsized and there was a fuel leak that was addressed immediately. It was contained by a hazardous materials crew and poses no immediate threat to public safety. Firefighters were also called to the scene to handle a small blaze ignited by the collision and extinguished the fire.

“As a precaution, customers were moved off the train. They will continue east aboard chartered buses,” Amtrak said in a statement.

Before passengers boarded the buses, they spoke with ABC 13 Houston and described the incident as "surprising," but said they were ultimately grateful they walked away unharmed.

A second train accident, this time a 23-car derailment, happened on March 18 between Rosenberg and Richmond and has blocked roads in historic downtown Richmond, Texas.

Richmond Police said in a Facebook statement that there were luckily no injuries and that it happened in a non-residential area. Officials believe there is no need to evacuate the city due to hazardous materials, but note cleanup efforts could be lengthy.

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This story was originally published by TravelHost on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.