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By Minyvonne Burke and Jay Blackman
Nearly 200 passengers have been stuck on an Amtrak train for more than 24 hours after it struck a tree that had fallen onto the tracks during a winter storm in Oregon over the weekend.
The Amtrak Coast Starlight train departed from Seattle, Washington on Sunday and became stranded nearly 321 miles away in Oakridge, Oregon just after 6:15 p.m, the company said in a statement.
One stranded passenger, Kim Shelton, said during a phone interview on NBC’s “Today” on Tuesday that “people are scared” and Amtrak has not been providing passengers with regular updates.
“There has been so little communication from Amtrak. I am very disappointed,” said Shelton, who is traveling with her daughter. “We’ve had two people have anxiety, heart-related issues. We have just had to take care of each other. There has been no help from outside.”
According to Shelton, cell phone service on the stalled train is spotty and food is running low. She said passengers were told Tuesday that their train was being connected to a locomotive that will pull them back to Eugene, Oregon.
Amtrak said in a statement that none of the 183 passengers aboard the train or crew members were hurt in Sunday’s crash, but because of deteriorating weather conditions, it was unsafe to try and move people from the train. They added that passengers and crew have had access to food and heat while they waited for the train to start running again.
In addition to snow, wind gusts were over 20 mph and temperatures had dipped to the low 30s on Sunday.
“Due to worsening conditions, area road closures and no viable way to safely transport passengers or crews via alternate transportation, Amtrak Coast Starlight train 11 stopped in Oakridge, Oregon,” Amtrak said.
“We are actively working with Union Pacific to clear the right of way and get passengers off the train.”
Rebekah Dodson, said in a Facebook post on Monday that she had been stuck on the train for 30 hours and supplies were starting to run low.
“This is hell, and it’s getting worse,” she posted on Facebook. “Today has been crazy … helping people out of panic attacks and chasing down toddlers. Among other things, the last 18 hours has been insanity and gone by in the blink of an eye.”
Dodson said she boarded the train Sunday afternoon in Albany headed for Klamath Falls in Oregon, according to NBC affiliate KGW8.
Union Pacific, a railroad transport company, said crews were working to clear the track and are expected to reach the train Tuesday morning.
In an update Tuesday, Dodson said the train was still stranded but the engine is now working.
Union Pacific said once the train is running again it will go back to Eugene, Oregon and then to Portland.