Snow-Stranded LA-Bound Amtrak Train Finally On The Move, Returning North
NEAR EUGENE (CBSLA) – An Amtrak train carrying nearly 200 passengers with a final destination of Los Angeles was back on the move again Tuesday morning – but in the opposite direction -- after getting stranded in snow in Oregon for about a day-and-a-half.
Amtrak confirmed that Coast Starlight Train 11 with 183 passengers aboard arrived back in Eugene by around 11:20 a.m. It will ultimately head back to Seattle, where it started its trip.
The train had departed Seattle Sunday morning for L.A. when it got stuck Sunday night near Oakridge in the Willamette National Forest after hitting a tree, according to CBS affiliate KOIN-TV. Oakridge is located about 50 miles southeast of Eugene.
Due to more than a foot of heavy snow and several fallen trees, as well as power outages and blocked roads, Amtrak decided to keep the train put.
"It was decided the safest place for our customers was to remain on the train where we were able to provide food, heat, electricity and toilets," the company said.
After more than 36 hours of remaining a standstill, the train finally began to move back north at around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday. There were no injuries.
"It was horrible because Amtrak did a horrible job, Amtrak Corporation did a horrible job of communicating to us what was going on," one woman told KOIN-TV after disembarking in Eugene. "Since 2 o'clock yesterday we did not hear from our conductor until today."
Due to the snowy conditions, the train was moving slowly and numerous delays were expected, Amtrak reported on Twitter.
"We'll move for a few hundred yards, then we stop, it's going to be like this for hours," passenger Emilie Wyrick told CNN. "They have to manually switch every signal we come across to ensure the train and any cars that may be crossing are all safe."
Another passenger told KOIN that the snack cart emptied quickly and people ran out of diapers for their children.
"A lot of the (older) kids have been really good, but they're having to run up and down and it's a lot," Carly Bigby told KOIN. "Especially the food, it's not really food they're liking. Moms are doing all they can right now."
Passenger Rebekah Dodson told CNN that some UCLA students aboard the train got frustrated because they are missing exams.
Amtrak will be issuing refunds to their customers, but did not confirm how those headed to L.A. will be transported there. Several other Coast Starlight trains were also seeing cancellations.