RUGBY, N.D. — On the fourth attempt, an Amtrak train carrying 111 passengers that was stuck almost 13 hours in a 25-foot-high northern North Dakota snowbank was on its way to other eastward stops on Wednesday night.

Three attempts failed earlier in the day after heavy snow and two days of fierce winds plugged the tracks with a 200-foot-long snowbank.

The St. Paul- and Chicago-bound Empire Builder train got stuck five miles west of Rugby in north-central North Dakota at about 7 a.m. and was finally dug out about 6:45 p.m., according to Amy McBeth, BNSF public relations director for the Minneapolis region.

BNSF inspected the train for any damages and the train was moving again at about 7:45 p.m.

The track closure also held up the westbound Empire Builder train, with 96 passengers, at Leeds, about 35 miles to the east.

BNSF crews, responsible for clearing the track, first used snowplows, then skid-steer loaders and then freight train engines trying to pull out the train from behind.

None of those methods worked.

Finally, McBeth said, about 30 BNSF crew members had to resort to digging out the train by hand to remove the snow from underneath and between the cars.

Marc Magliari, a spokesman for Amtrak in Chicago, said the on-board crew worked hard to keep passengers comfortable on both trains.

Rugby is about 60 miles east of Minot.

Miranda Fenner, a Minot State University music student aboard the train, said two freight train engines were brought in to try to pull out the train from behind.

Then she said two more train engines were brought in to try to move the train.

At about 2 p.m., Fenner said, the four engines weren’t successful.

Fenner said the train had power and the cafe and lounge were open so food was available to them, but many passengers were spending the time sleeping.

Fenner said the train was seven hours late anyway because of the weather (initially they were to leave Minot about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday) but they finally left at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

An hour later, she said the train got stuck in the huge snowbank. She said the train’s conductor told them the size of the snowbank was 25 feet.

“Train attendants used the term ‘snowed in’ instead of ‘stuck,'” said Fenner.

“Conditions aboard the train are fine, with all hotel services operational. We have reached out to emergency responders only as a precaution,” said Magliari at midday Wednesday.

Fenner was on a trip to Minneapolis with four other Minot State University music students and an instructor. The MSU group was on its way to the American Choral Directors Association national conference in Minneapolis.