Dozens of Amtrak passengers are safe after a train got stuck in a tunnel without power north of Baltimore during a heat wave Monday. 

Amtrak said the Northeast Regional 94 train stopped in a tunnel shortly after it departed from Baltimore Penn Station around 3:40 p.m. The company said it was due to a "locomotive malfunction."

Train breaks down in tunnel near Baltimore

According to passengers, the train quickly began to heat up after it stopped. Some train cars were without air conditioning even before it stopped moving, passengers told WJZ. 

"The train completely lost power, we were in a dark tunnel. No power, no lights, no AC, and we were just waiting for updates from the train station," said passenger Destini Thompson. 

A video sent by Laura Evans, a passenger on board, included an announcement saying crews were trying to restart the motor. They then said the train would be pulled out of the tunnel. 

The train returned to Penn Station about an hour and 15 minutes after it stopped. Passengers said they then had to wait for another train to take them north toward their destinations. 

Amtrak passengers react

Evans said the air conditioning was not working properly when she boarded the train in Washington, D.C. In the tunnel, she said it was dark, and some passengers began to feel ill. 

"We had emergency lights on, but being stuck in that tunnel, it got hot really fast," Evans said. "It was so bad, it was hard to breathe." 

Evans said water and snacks were provided after about 30 minutes of being stuck underground. 

"Each person had to come up and get their own bottle of water, so there was a woman who ran up to the cafe car, and she said, 'There was an elderly lady who tried to get up to come and get water, but she fell…Can I get a bottle of water for her,'" Evans recalled. 

Benjamin Garland was in the café car, which he said was the coolest on board. WJZ spoke to him while he awaited another train headed to New York.

"I was in the café car, which was apparently the coolest one, and it was still hot there," he said. "I didn't realize it was hotter in other places until people were coming there for water…People were saying that other people were maybe even passing out." 

According to Thompson, who was traveling from Virginia, this was not the first time the 94 train broke down on Monday. She said the same train lost power and stopped on the tracks for about 30 to 40 minutes between Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Union Station in Washington, D.C. 

"You would think that they would have let us go, probably the first time it lost power for the first 30 to 40 minutes, but no," Thompson said. "They kept us on. Nobody was really communicating much of anything, and then we sat on the train stuck in a tunnel for over an  hour in complete blazing heat."

Amtrak responds 

Amtrak said passengers from this train were transferred to the 176 train heading north. 

"After a locomotive malfunction, passengers on Amtrak Train 94 were transferred to Baltimore Station and then provided train service to their final destination. Service recovery was initiated on board with snack packs and bottled water. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience," a company spokesperson said in a statement. 

However, passengers said they had to fend for themselves and find any train going north, because the train Amtrak sent for them was already full. 

"There was just no direction," Evans said. "It felt like the blind leading the blind. They haven't even offered refunds." 

Other passengers got on the 178 train, and some even boarded any train going north, including Acela. 

Some passengers said this experience may change how they travel moving forward. 

"I will never make the mistake again, and you'll never catch me riding the train in the summer," Thompson said. 

MARC Trains limit speed during high heat 

CSX Transportation typically reduces track speeds for passenger trains by 20 mph during consistent extreme heat or during significant temperature swings. This includes the tracks supporting the MARC Brunswick and Camden lines. 

The delays can be between five to 15 minutes. 

CSX also deploys track inspectors to check the rails during a "heat order." 

Newly installed rail and ties are more likely to shift in extreme heat and changing conditions,

MTA said Amtrak issues heat orders on the Penn Line only when temperatures reach 90 to 100 degrees, adding that the northeast corridor is less prone to track problems because of the frequent, high-speed service. 

Heat wave in Maryland 

The Amtrak issues came as Maryland is experiencing a heat wave that sent feels like temperatures to triple digits on Monday. 

The dangerous heat, which peaked at 98 degrees at BWI Airport on Monday, prompted concerns across the state. 

Baltimore declared a Code Red extreme heat alert that will last through Thursday, June 26, as the heat wave is expected to continue. 

With temperatures expected to reach the 100s again on Tuesday, residents have been advised to take precautions, such as dressing in loose-fitting, lightweight clothing and taking breaks when outdoors.