A dose of holiday cheer at Seattle’s King Street Station

A day after Seattle was frozen into a standstill, rising temperatures helped traveling plans resume as normal — or, at least, as normal as they can be on Christmas Eve.

At King Street Station, many passengers — donning puffy jackets and winter hats and carrying suitcases and gift bags — were headed out of the city to visit family and friends for the holidays. Most of them were waiting to board the Coast Starlight, which runs between Seattle and Los Angeles and was scheduled to depart the station at 9:50 a.m.

But as the clock moved from 10 to 11 to 12, there was still no sight of the train. That didn’t deter the travelers from spreading cheer, though. One passenger sat down on the baggage carousel, took out his guitar and began singing Christmas songs. Families struck up conversations with each other as their children played tag around the station. Amtrak employees handed out water and snacks to passengers as a “thank you” for their patience.

The Coast Starlight finally pulled into King Street Station about three hours after it was expected. The crowd of travelers excitedly filed onto the platform and boarded the train, departing for their holiday destinations at last.