After being stranded for more than 36 hours on the tracks, almost 200 passengers finally arrived in Oregon Station on Tuesday.
The train, bound for Los Angeles, had left Seattle shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday. The train was carrying 183 passengers when it got stuck near the town of Oakridge, according to an Amtrak spokesman.
A winter storm had impacted the northwestern United States since Sunday, causing heavy snow and several downed trees and power lines. After the train struck one of these fallen trees that evening, it was stalled on the tracks for a day and a half. Because of the weather conditions, no attempts were made to remove the passengers while Union Pacific railroad crews worked to clear the tracks.
While no injuries have been reported, several passengers have expressed their emotional grievances.
"This is hell, and it's getting worse," passenger Rebekah Dodson posted on Facebook on Monday. "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."
Kim Shelton, another passenger, described the emotional distress of some of the other passengers in a phone interview with NBC's "Today" on Tuesday morning.
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"We've had two people have anxiety, heart-related issues," she said. "We have just had to take care of each other. There has been no help from outside."
In a tweet on Tuesday morning, the Amtrak railroad announced that the train was on its way back to Seattle. However, more delays would be expected due to weather conditions.
Scot Naparstek, Amtrak's executive vice president, has said that refunds and "other compensation" will be provided to customers.
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