DEVILS LAKE — A westbound Amtrak train broke down near Devils Lake on Wednesday, delaying travel for 90 passengers.
The train in question is the Empire Builder, whose route spans from Chicago to Seattle, and Portland, Oregon.
According to Marc Magliari, senior public relations manager at Amtrak, the train experienced mechanical issues with its locomotives that have since been resolved. He said although the train was physically able to travel after repairs were made, the most prudent course of action due to cold weather was to delay travel until Thursday morning.
"We were able to continue on with all systems back on line, but we thought it best given the weather conditions to stay put," said Magliari. "I'm told the record cold temperature in Devils Lake this time of year is minus-13, and this morning was minus-8, so it's certainly severe weather conditions."
Passengers spending the night in Devils Lake awaiting tomorrow's train will be lodged at the Spirit Mountain Casino at Amtrak's expense.
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Not all passengers affected will be continuing on the Empire Builder from Devils Lake. Magliari said Amtrak provided accommodations on other modes of transportation if passengers desired.
"For people who live a short distance away — such as in Rugby or Minot — we arranged for van transportation to take them to their destination," said Magliari. "If passengers needed to fly out quickly, we also made arrangements for flights out of Devils Lake and Minot. It was really at the customer's option."
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