Amtrak trains with nearly 200 passengers arriving after being stranded for more than 30 hours in Oregon
By Kevin Byrne AccuWeather Staff Writer
26. February 2019, 17:59:40 EST
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Almost 200 people finally arrived at Oregon Station on Tuesday after being stranded more than 36 hours on an Amtrak train in Oregon in the countryside after the train hit a dressed up three on Sunday.
The Los Angeles-bound train had left Seattle shortly after. 9 Sunday with 183 passengers aboard, but was stuck near Oakridge, about 45 miles south of Eugene, a spokesman for Amtrak OregonLive told.
A storm affected the northwestern United States since Sunday with heavy snow that caused many clad trees and power lines. A snow foot was reported at Eugene airport on Monday, breaking the previous daily 6.7-inch record on February 7, 2014.
(Image / ABC News)
Union Pacific, which owns railway lines, helped remove the path to the train. Passengers were kept on board because the train had power and nearby towns, Tim McMahan, a Union Pacific spokesman.
When the passengers were ready to leave, they were taken back to Eugene and then Portland, he told OregonLive.
(Facebook photo / Rebekah Dodson)
Rebekah Dodson, a passenger on the train, told CNN on Tuesday that the train began moving back towards Eugene.
"Everyone is cheering because we are on our way back to Eugene now!" She said.
Dodson later shared a Facebook live video while the train went.
Amtrak said on Twitter that the train was headed back to Seattle but further weather delays were possible. McMahan told CNN that a Union Pacific community was pulling the stranded train.
UPDATE: The Coast Starlight Train 11 which left Seattle (SEA) on 2/24 is traveling back to Seattle (SEA). Due to the weather conditions, further delays can be expected along the route.
– Amtrak Alerts (@AmtrakAlerts) February 26, 2019
No injuries have been reported.
The storm train centered on Northern California will vary enough to give more snow to much of Oregon in midweek. Snow is expected to reach as far north as Portland, but marginal temperatures may limit accumulations along the Oregon coast with the next storm, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Amtrak said it was to ensure that passengers on board the train would not be charged for food and drink and did everything they could to make customers comfortable.
We apologize for the confusion. Passengers on this train are not charged for food or water. We do everything we can to make sure they are comfortable.
– Amtrak (@Amtrak) February 26, 2019
Some passengers had to create makeshift diapers for mothers with young children, according to ABC news.
Pet passengers on board were able to go out regularly, but others had to remain on board with the windows closed, OregonLive said.
Dodson told CNN that the Amtrak staff have been "wonderful and accommodating" and the morale of the train has been "OK".
Despite the nightmarish trial, the passengers were reportedly telling their loved ones that they were fine.
Treacherous travel conditions persistently elsewhere in the state. A large avalanche stops a stretch of US Highway 20 about 2 miles west of Santiam Pass, said the Oregon Department of Transportation. Officials later said Monday that the road was reopened, but drivers should be careful when driving.
Remember how we said today's theme was down on trees and power lines? You probably can't tell, but it's OR 58, west of #Oakridge . This mess has kept our Oakridge crew very busy as they work to get the road reopened for people. pic.twitter.com/0CIlcAhbZM
– Oregon DOT (@ OregonDOT) February 26, 2019
Highway 58 was closed between Lowell and Oakridge after more than 100 fallen trees had to be cleared, state officials told the Associated Press.
Redmond Police Sgt. Al Fraker said police cars and ambulances were stuck because of heavy snow, causing "extremely black response time and limited access," according to the AP.
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