Palm Springs Amtrak stop draws scrutiny after rider says it’s been left abandoned
Shay Lawson
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Donna Anderson said the Amtrak station in Palm Springs left her behind twice in 2024.
She said the first incident happened in January, when the conductor said the train would skip her stop in Palm Springs, and continue to Ontario.
“I said how do you expect me to get home?” Anderson said. “They paid an Uber to get me to my door.”
She said the company blamed weather.
“It was a clear night. There was no wind. There was no rain. There was nothing,” Anderson said.
Believing the issue was fixed, Anderson said she booked another trip in August.
She said her cousin dropped her off at the station at 1:30 a.m.
“Nothing stopped me from booking it. I get there with 5 other passengers,” Anderson said. “We were sitting there, sitting there… no wind, no rain, nothing. It went by and passed us.”
She said she later discovered an email — sent after she had already left home — saying the stop was canceled.
“I had to leave home in the middle of the night and I didn’t check my emails. I was checking my text,” Anderson said. “The thing is, they were telling me by text that the train was coming.”
In a written statement, Olivia Irvin, Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager, said:
“Amtrak temporarily suspended service to Palm Springs due to high winds and sandstorms at and around the station. All ticketed customers received notifications advising them that the scheduled stop could not be made.
To prioritize the safety of our customers and employees, Amtrak may occasionally suspend service after a train has departed its origin. If this occurs, onboard crew will notify affected passengers.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. For the latest service updates, customers can visit Amtrak.com/service-alerts.”
Anderson’s experience comes as cities along the rail line push to host the next permanent Coachella Valley station.
Anderson believes Indio is the clear choice.
“Indio is the largest city in population,” she said. “The station would not be in the middle of nowhere like Palm Springs station is. It’s protected from the wind.”
Anderson said she eventually received a refund from Amtrak, but plans to never ride again.
She said she wants the company to stop selling tickets to the Palm Springs station until service is restored or relocated.
“Why don’t they just admit they’ve abandoned the station?” she said. “And stop fooling people.”
Stay with News Channel 3 for the full story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.