After a sudden landslide interrupted the rhythm of the Pacific Northwest, travelers between Seattle and Portland can once again hear the steady drum of Amtrak trains on the tracks. Amtrak resumed its Cascades service on Sunday morning, following a suspension that began on Thursday night due to slide-related safety concerns, as KGW reported.
According to Crisis24, the disruption came after a landslide near Felida, Washington initially shut down travel and Amtrak had to scurry to provide buses as makeshift transportation between the cities, the company worked to reposition rolling stock which will likely lead to hours of subsequent delays as they chip away at the backlog of passengers needing to reach their destinations.
With some semblance of normalcy on the horizon, Amtrak is extending an olive branch to affected customers, offering reservation changes free of charge. "We sincerely appreciate your continued patience and understanding during these delays," Amtrak stated in the midst of navigating this environmental hiccup. This sentiment echoed on their website where Amtrak also confirmed that customers with reservations on now operational trains would be accommodated with little hassle, as reported by KOIN.
Travelers who faced the disruption and looked for the silver lining can take solace in knowing Amtrak's proactive measures and communication denote an effort to smooth the tracks ahead and Amtrak's customer service center stands ready to assist at 1-800-USA-RAIL, for those travelers affected by the landslide and hoping to adjust their itineraries which had been turned topsy-turvy in the wake of nature's unforeseen plans.
