First, the reporter was stuck on the train; he could report what was happening, but wasn't able to get in touch with Amtrak and find out the full story. Surprising, however, that his TV colleagues, from their toasty warm office, couldn't get on the phone and ask around. "Amtrak train stuck in blizzard" sounds like a newsworthy headline to me.

Second, I think Amtrak's day-to-day operation is not bad, but the managers seem to be paralyzed when anything out of the ordinary happens. I get the impression they just sat in their swivel chairs and wrung their hands. I mean, this is the NE corridor, not central Montana. If they couldn't send a rescue train, how about rescue buses to the nearest road? Or were the highways also closed? How about communicating with the conductor and instructing him to tell the passengers what the hell was going on? Or not going on?