Amtrak train freed from snow

By LAUREN MAINGOT

An Amtrak train with 183 passengers began moving again on Tuesday morning after being stranded in the Oregon mountains for more than 36 hours.

A winter storm that downed trees and left a foot of snowfall forced the Coast Starlight train to halt Sunday evening. Crew members decided to keep the passengers onboard as crews worked through Monday and into Tuesday to clear the track, according to Amtrak and Union Pacific.

“With more than a foot of heavy snow and numerous trees blocking the track, we made every decision in the best interest of the safety of our customers during the unfortunate sequence of events,” Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Scot Naparstek said.

Food, heat and electricity were provided to the passengers as the train was being extricated from the snow and debris. One passenger told CNN that the travelers remained in relatively high spirits and developed a sense of camaraderie as the hours went on.

The train is now heading towards Eugene, a town about 45 miles away, after more than a day of being stationary on the track. According to Fox News, the Red Cross is waiting at the station to aid the passengers, although no one onboard was injured.

This story has received extensive coverage since the train was first stranded, multiple news media outlets providing developments as the amount of time it was stuck drew on. What I found interesting was the way that social media was integrated into the articles, Facebook posts giving a deeper understanding of the experience that the passengers underwent.