KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A woman from California trying to make her way to Ohio is one of about 50 people stuck in Kansas City because Amtrak trains weren’t running because of bad weather.
The woman, Serina Lambdin, left San Bernardino, Calif., on Sunday and had planned to arrive in Columbus, Ohio by tomorrow for dialysis treatment, but now she fears she’ll miss her appointment.
“I don’t have any kidneys and the machines are keeping me alive,” Lambdin said. “We made arrangements a week prior from San Bernardino so we have everything planned and now this happens. I can understand it’s Mother Nature. We can’t control that but they should have a back-up plan.”
Amtrak says deteriorating weather conditions closed many tracks they use.
“A lot of people here don’t have the money to go and eat here,” said Clarissa Guzman, who was riding the train from California to Chicago. Guzman was trying to get to Chicago to attend two funerals.
“It’s expensive so it’s sad, but I just keep the faith that they will do the right thing.”
After five hours of waiting at Union Station, Amtrak sent three coach buses to transport these passengers.
“I really think people should get some of their money back since we are going to be on the bus instead of the train,” said Charlina Thomas, another passenger. “Because the train is a lot more comfortable than the bus.”
Michael Morgan, who left New Mexico for Michigan, with a stop in Chicago, said he was told he’d have a hard time getting out of Chicago.
“Why they kept selling tickets when they knew that they would have to let these people off somewhere before Chicago?” he asked.
Charlina Thomas wondered the same thing.
“I bought my tickets before 12 last night and I think if they knew if the trains were going to be canceled they should have never taken my money,” she said.
Amtrak said it regrets any inconvenience caused by the weather.