Actress Whoopi Goldberg was left stunned last week (ends08Nov13) after finding herself sitting beside U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as she made her way home from Washington, D.C. on a train.

The Oscar winner, who has a fear of flying, hopped on an Amtrak train for the trip back to New Jersey on Friday (08Nov13) after appearing at an event at the White House - and she was pleasantly surprised to discover she had a very special travelling companion.

She explains, "It's kind of crazy... I went to the White House... because they did a great symposium with lots of young people to teach (them) about acting, and make-up making and just all things to do with filmmaking. It was great.

"Then I got back on the train and they (train officials) said, 'Oh no, no, you can't sit there'. I was like, 'Ok', and my partner Tom said, 'Why not...?' They said, 'We have a Vip coming on...'

"I'm sitting there talking to someone... and I see Joe Biden walking up the way and I'm thinking, 'What's he doing on the train?' And he said to me, 'What the hell (are) you doing on the train?' I'm like, 'I'm going home!' (He said), 'Me too!'

"It was great; it was nice to sit with him."

Biden was en route to his home state of Delaware for the weekend (09-10Nov13).