Amtrak passengers share stories after being stuck for hours
Portland, Ore. — Passengers posted desperate pleas after their train slammed into a fallen tree, leaving them stranded in the snowy Oregon mountains. For two straight nights, 183 people aboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight tried to make the best of it, living on a diet of snack foods, trying to stay warm and pass the time.
To make matters worse, parents ran out of diapers.
"Luckily, a really nice lady came in and gave me some pull ups because I didn't know what I was going to do — take off my sweat shirt and wrap her in it," said passenger Jessica Swindle.
Thirty-six hours later, the train was finally moving again, dropping off some passengers in Eugene, Oregon. For some, it was a train ride from hell.
"Amtrak corporation did a horrible job of communicating to us what was going on," said passenger Kim Shelton.
"Long, relatively uncomfortable, but you know it was not that bad," said Marcia Trujillo.
In a statement, Amtrak said, "we made every decision in the best interest of the safety of our customers," and that passengers will be getting refunds.
