Alaska Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad
which extends from Seward
and Whittier
, in the south of the state of Alaska
, in the United States
, to Fairbanks
(passing through Anchorage
), and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base
and Fort Wainwright
in the interior of that state. Uniquely, it carries both freight and passengers throughout its system, including Denali National Park
(most other intercity passenger rail in the U.S.A. is carried on the federal Amtrak
system). The railroad has a mainline over 470 miles (756.4 km) long and is well over 500 miles (804.7 km) including branch line
s and siding
s. It is currently owned by the state of Alaska. The railroad is connected to the lower 48 via three rail barges that sail between the Port of Whittier
and Harbor Island
in Seattle (the Alaska Railroad-owned Alaska Rail Marine, from Whittier to Seattle, and the CN Rail
-owned Aqua Train, from Whittier to Prince Rupert
, British Columbia
) but does not currently have a direct, land-based connection with any other railroad lines on the North America
n network. In 2008, the company earned a profit of $12.5 million (down 23%) on revenues of $158.7 million (up 6.9%), $121.7 million of which was operating revenue (up 5.2%).
In 1903 a company called the Alaska Central Railroad began to build a rail line beginning at Seward
, near the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula
in Alaska, northward. The company built 51 miles (82.1 km) of track by 1909 and went into receivership. This route carried passengers, freight and mail to the upper Turnagain Arm
. From there, goods were taken by boat at high tide, and by dog team or pack train to Eklutna
and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
.
In 1909, another company, the Alaska Northern Railroad Company, bought the rail line and extended it another 21 miles (33.8 km) northward. From the new end, goods were floated down the Turnagain Arm in small boats. The Alaska Northern Railroad went into receivership in 1914.
About this time, the United States government was planning a railroad route from Seward to the interior town of Fairbanks. President Taft authorized a commission to survey a route in 1912. The line would be more than 470 miles long and provide an all-weather route to the interior.
In 1914, the government bought the Alaska Northern Railroad and moved its headquarters to "Ship Creek," later called Anchorage
. The government began to extend the rail line northward.
In 1917, the Tanana Valley Railroad in Fairbanks was heading into bankruptcy. It owned a small 45 miles (72.4 km) (narrow-gauge) line that serviced the towns of Fairbanks and the mining communities in the area as well as the boat docks on the Tanana River
near Fairbanks.
The government bought the Tanana Valley Railroad, principally for its terminal facilities. The government extended the south portion of the track to Nenana and later converted the extension to standard gauge.
In 1923 they built the 700 feet (213 m) Mears Memorial Bridge
across the Tanana River at Nenana. This was the final link in the Alaska Railroad and at the time, was the second longest single-span steel railroad bridge in the country. U. S. President Warren G. Harding
drove the golden spike
that completed the railroad on July 15, 1923, on the north side of the bridge. The railroad was part of the US Department of the Interior.
The railroad was greatly affected by the Good Friday Earthquake
which struck southern Alaska in 1964. The yard and trackage around Seward buckled and the trackage along Turnagain Arm was damaged by floodwaters and landslides. It took several months to restore full service along the line.
In 1967, the railroad was transferred to the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency within the newly created US Department of Transportation.
In 1985, the state of Alaska bought the railroad from the U.S. government for $22.3 million, based on a valuation determined by the US Railway Association. The state immediately invested over $70 million on improvements and repairs that made up for years of deferred maintenance. The purchase agreement prohibits the Alaska Railroad from paying dividends or otherwise returning capital to the state of Alaska (unlike the other Alaska quasi-entities: Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), and Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)).
is planned, having been proposed as early as 2009. Originally, the extension was to be completed by 2010, but a major bridge across the Tanana River
has yet to be built, and construction of track has not started. A proposed 2011 Alaska state budget would provide $40 million in funding for the bridge, which would initially be for vehicular use, but would support Alaska Railroad trains once construction of track to Delta Junction began. The United States Department of Defense would provide another $100 million in funds, as the bridge and subsequent rail line would provide year-round access to Fort Greely
and the Joint Tanana Training Complex.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Tanana River Bridge took place on September 28, 2011.
On 21 November 2011, the Surface Transportation Board
approved the construction of a new 25 miles (40.2 km) line between Port MacKenzie and an existing line running between Wasilla
and Willow
.
administration formed an international commission to investigate the building of a rail link through the Yukon to connect the Alaska railroads with the rest of the North American Rail Network; Canada was asked to be part of the commission, but the Chrétien
(1993–2004) and Martin
(2004–2006) governments did not choose to join the commission and commit funds for the study; the Harper
government has not yet acted; the Yukon government is interested. A June 2006 report by the commission has recommended Carmacks, Yukon
, as a hub. A line would go northward to Delta Junction, Alaska
(Alaska Railroad's northern end-of-track). Another line would go from Carmacks to Hazelton, British Columbia
(which is served by the CN
), and that line would go through Watson Lake, Yukon
, and Dease Lake, British Columbia
, along the way. The third line would go from Carmacks to either Haines
or Skagway, Alaska
(the latter by way of the vicinity of Whitehorse, Yukon
, which are both served by the (narrow-gauge) White Pass and Yukon Route
Railroad), although today the White Pass & Yukon only goes as far north as Carcross, Yukon
, because the entire line was embargoed in 1982 and service has not been completely restored. There are plans to provide commuter rail service (Anchorage to Mat-Su Valley via Eagle River, north Anchorage to south Anchorage) but that requires additional tracks be laid due to a heavy freight schedule.
A spur line will be built to Port Mackenzie, Alaska, a small port on the opposite side of the Knik Arm from Anchorage, and will be completed in 2010.
The railroad is a major tourist attraction in the summer. Coach cars feature wide windows and domes for this reason. Private cars owned by the major cruise companies are towed behind the Alaska Railroad's own cars, and trips are included with various cruise packages.
53 Total
}
}
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}
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} Rights of way for Alaskan wagon roads, wire rope, aerial, or other tramways; reservations; filing preliminary survey and map of locations; alteration, amendment, repeal, or grant of equal rights; forfeiture of rights; reversion of grant; liens
Class II railroad
A Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...
which extends from Seward
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
and Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
, in the south of the state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
(passing through Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
), and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....
and Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in the interior of that state. Uniquely, it carries both freight and passengers throughout its system, including Denali National Park
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Denali , the highest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi² .The longest glacier is the Kalhiltna glacier....
(most other intercity passenger rail in the U.S.A. is carried on the federal Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
system). The railroad has a mainline over 470 miles (756.4 km) long and is well over 500 miles (804.7 km) including branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s and siding
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
s. It is currently owned by the state of Alaska. The railroad is connected to the lower 48 via three rail barges that sail between the Port of Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
and Harbor Island
Harbor Island
Harbor Island is an artificial island in the mouth of Seattle, Washington's Duwamish Waterway where it empties into Elliott Bay. Built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Harbor Island was completed in 1909 and was then the largest artificial island in the world, at 350 acres...
in Seattle (the Alaska Railroad-owned Alaska Rail Marine, from Whittier to Seattle, and the CN Rail
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
-owned Aqua Train, from Whittier to Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
) but does not currently have a direct, land-based connection with any other railroad lines on the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n network. In 2008, the company earned a profit of $12.5 million (down 23%) on revenues of $158.7 million (up 6.9%), $121.7 million of which was operating revenue (up 5.2%).
History
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
, near the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
in Alaska, northward. The company built 51 miles (82.1 km) of track by 1909 and went into receivership. This route carried passengers, freight and mail to the upper Turnagain Arm
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
. From there, goods were taken by boat at high tide, and by dog team or pack train to Eklutna
Eklutna, Alaska
Eklutna is a native village within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The Tribal Council estimates the population at 70; many tribal members live in the surrounding communities....
and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska....
.
In 1909, another company, the Alaska Northern Railroad Company, bought the rail line and extended it another 21 miles (33.8 km) northward. From the new end, goods were floated down the Turnagain Arm in small boats. The Alaska Northern Railroad went into receivership in 1914.
About this time, the United States government was planning a railroad route from Seward to the interior town of Fairbanks. President Taft authorized a commission to survey a route in 1912. The line would be more than 470 miles long and provide an all-weather route to the interior.
In 1914, the government bought the Alaska Northern Railroad and moved its headquarters to "Ship Creek," later called Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
. The government began to extend the rail line northward.
In 1917, the Tanana Valley Railroad in Fairbanks was heading into bankruptcy. It owned a small 45 miles (72.4 km) (narrow-gauge) line that serviced the towns of Fairbanks and the mining communities in the area as well as the boat docks on the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon tene no, tenene, literally "trail river"....
near Fairbanks.
The government bought the Tanana Valley Railroad, principally for its terminal facilities. The government extended the south portion of the track to Nenana and later converted the extension to standard gauge.
In 1923 they built the 700 feet (213 m) Mears Memorial Bridge
Mears Memorial Bridge
The Mears Memorial Bridge is a truss bridge on the Alaska Railroad, completed in 1923. The bridge spans the Tanana River at Nenana and is among the largest simple truss-type bridges in the world....
across the Tanana River at Nenana. This was the final link in the Alaska Railroad and at the time, was the second longest single-span steel railroad bridge in the country. U. S. President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
drove the golden spike
Golden spike
The "Golden Spike" is the ceremonial final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory...
that completed the railroad on July 15, 1923, on the north side of the bridge. The railroad was part of the US Department of the Interior.
The railroad was greatly affected by the Good Friday Earthquake
Good Friday Earthquake
The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964...
which struck southern Alaska in 1964. The yard and trackage around Seward buckled and the trackage along Turnagain Arm was damaged by floodwaters and landslides. It took several months to restore full service along the line.
In 1967, the railroad was transferred to the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency within the newly created US Department of Transportation.
In 1985, the state of Alaska bought the railroad from the U.S. government for $22.3 million, based on a valuation determined by the US Railway Association. The state immediately invested over $70 million on improvements and repairs that made up for years of deferred maintenance. The purchase agreement prohibits the Alaska Railroad from paying dividends or otherwise returning capital to the state of Alaska (unlike the other Alaska quasi-entities: Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), and Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)).
Proposed expansion in Alaska
As of April 2010, an extension of the railroad from Fairbanks to Delta JunctionDelta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...
is planned, having been proposed as early as 2009. Originally, the extension was to be completed by 2010, but a major bridge across the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon tene no, tenene, literally "trail river"....
has yet to be built, and construction of track has not started. A proposed 2011 Alaska state budget would provide $40 million in funding for the bridge, which would initially be for vehicular use, but would support Alaska Railroad trains once construction of track to Delta Junction began. The United States Department of Defense would provide another $100 million in funds, as the bridge and subsequent rail line would provide year-round access to Fort Greely
Fort Greely
Fort Greely is a United States Army launch site for anti-ballistic missiles located approximately 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. It is also the home of the Cold Regions Test Center , as Fort Greely is one of the coldest areas in Alaska, and can accommodate cold, extreme cold, or...
and the Joint Tanana Training Complex.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Tanana River Bridge took place on September 28, 2011.
On 21 November 2011, the Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
approved the construction of a new 25 miles (40.2 km) line between Port MacKenzie and an existing line running between Wasilla
Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
and Willow
Willow, Alaska
Willow is a census-designated place in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 1,658.-History:...
.
Possible Connection to the Lower 48
The United States government during the ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administration formed an international commission to investigate the building of a rail link through the Yukon to connect the Alaska railroads with the rest of the North American Rail Network; Canada was asked to be part of the commission, but the Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
(1993–2004) and Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
(2004–2006) governments did not choose to join the commission and commit funds for the study; the Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
government has not yet acted; the Yukon government is interested. A June 2006 report by the commission has recommended Carmacks, Yukon
Carmacks, Yukon
-History:The community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and was named after George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte in 1893. Carmack built a trading post and traded with locals near the present site of Carmacks and also started a...
, as a hub. A line would go northward to Delta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...
(Alaska Railroad's northern end-of-track). Another line would go from Carmacks to Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
(which is served by the CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
), and that line would go through Watson Lake, Yukon
Watson Lake, Yukon
Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 ....
, and Dease Lake, British Columbia
Dease Lake, British Columbia
Dease Lake is a small community located in the Cassiar Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located only a few hours south of the Yukon border, it is located on Highway 37 at the south end of the lake of the same name. Dease Lake is the last major centre before the Alaska...
, along the way. The third line would go from Carmacks to either Haines
Haines, Alaska
Haines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...
or Skagway, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
(the latter by way of the vicinity of Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, which are both served by the (narrow-gauge) White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
Railroad), although today the White Pass & Yukon only goes as far north as Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation....
, because the entire line was embargoed in 1982 and service has not been completely restored. There are plans to provide commuter rail service (Anchorage to Mat-Su Valley via Eagle River, north Anchorage to south Anchorage) but that requires additional tracks be laid due to a heavy freight schedule.
A spur line will be built to Port Mackenzie, Alaska, a small port on the opposite side of the Knik Arm from Anchorage, and will be completed in 2010.
General managers under federal ownership
- Col. Frederick Mears, 1919-1923 (was originally head of the railroad as chairman of the Alaska Engineering Commission)
- Col. James Gordon Steese, 1923-1923
- Lee H. Landis, 1923–1924
- Noel W. Smith, 1924–1928
- Col. Otto F. Ohlson, 1928–1945
- Col. John P. Johnson, 1946–1953
- Frank E. Kalbaugh, 1953–1955
- Reginald N. Whitman, 1955–1956
- John H. Lloyd, 1956–1958
- Robert H. Anderson, 1958–1960
- Donald J. Smith, 1960–1962
- John E. Manley, 1962–1971
- Walker S. Johnston, 1971-1975
- William L. Dorcy, 1975–1979
- Steven R. Ditmeyer (Acting) 1979-1980
- Frank H. Jones, 1980–1985
Presidents under state ownership
- Frank Turpin, 1985-1991
- Robert Hatfield, Jr., 1991–1997
- Bill Sheffield, 1997–2001
- Patrick K. GamblePatrick K. GamblePatrick K. Gamble is President of the University of Alaska, and a retired Air Force General whose assignments included service as Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii....
, 2001–2010 - Christopher Aadnesen, 2010–present
Routes and Tourism
Routes
- The Denali StarDenali StarThe Denali Star is a passenger and semi-luxury train operated by the Alaska Railroad between the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska. It is a seasonal train, only operating between the months of May and September. The Aurora Winter Train operates along the similar route during the rest of the...
runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks (12 hours one-way) and back with stops in Talkeetna and Denali National Park, from which various flight and bus tours are available. Although the trip is only about 356 miles (572.9 km), it takes 12 hours to travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks as the tracks wind through mountains and valleys; the train's top speed is 59 miles per hour but sometimes hovers closer to 30 miles per hour. - The Coastal ClassicCoastal ClassicThe Coastal Classic is a passenger and semi-luxury train operated by the Alaska Railroad between the cities of Anchorage and Seward Alaska. It is a seasonal train, only operating between the months of May and September. The train popular for tourists visiting the glaciers.-Station Stops:The Coastal...
winds its way south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm before turning south to the Kenai Peninsula, eventually reaching Seward. This 114 miles (183.5 km) journey takes around four and a half hours due to some slow trackage as the line winds its way over the mountains. - The Glacier DiscoveryGlacier DiscoveryThe Glacier Discovery is a passenger train operated by the Alaska Railroad between the towns of Anchorage, Whittier and Grandview, Alaska. It is a seasonal train, only operating between the months of May and September.-Station Stops:...
provides a short (2 hour) journey south from Anchorage to WhittierWhittier, AlaskaWhittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
for a brief stop before reversing direction for a stop at Grandview before returning to Anchorage in the evening. - The Hurricane TurnHurricane TurnThe Hurricane is a passenger train operated by the Alaska Railroad between Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch in Alaska. This train is unique in that rather than making scheduled station stops, it is a flag stop train meaning that passengers between Talkeetna and Hurricane can wave a white cloth...
provides rail service to people living between TalkeetnaTalkeetna, AlaskaTalkeetna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 772.-Geography:...
and the Hurricane area. This area has no roads, and the railroad provides the lifeline for residents who depend on the service to obtain food and supplies. One of the last flag-stop railway routes in the United States, passengers can board the Hurricane Turn anywhere along the route by waving a large white flag or cloth. - The AuroraAurora Winter TrainThe Aurora Winter Train is a passenger operated by the Alaska Railroad between the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska. It is a seasonal train, only operating during the non-summer months...
is available in winter months (September 15 - May 15) on a reduced weekend schedule (Northbound, Saturday mornings; Southbound, Sunday mornings) between Anchorage and Fairbanks. It is a 12 hour ride and departs at 8:15 a.m. - A spur providing service to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International AirportTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
is used during the summer season for cruise ship service only. It was activated temporarily during the Alaska Federation of NativesAlaska Federation of NativesThe Alaska Federation of Natives is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska. Its membership includes 178 villages , thirteen regional native corporations, and twelve regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums that contract and run federal and state programs...
(AFN) 2006 convention to provide airport-to-hotel mass transit for delegates.
Active Locomotives
- 28 EMD SD70MACs (12 equipped with head end powerHead end powerHead end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
) - 15 EMD GP40-2EMD GP40-2An EMD GP40-2 is a 4-axle diesel road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division as part of its Dash 2 line between April 1972 and December 1986. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 16-cylinder engine which generated 3000 horsepower .- Production :Standard GP40-2 production...
s - 8 EMD GP38-2EMD GP38-2An EMD GP38-2 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38...
s - 2 Power cars
53 Total
Retired Locomotives
- Budd Rail Diesel CarBudd Rail Diesel CarThe Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
(Retired 2009) - EMD MP15ACEMD MP15ACThe EMD MP15AC is a 1,500 hp diesel switcher/road-switcher locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between August 1975 and August 1984. 246 examples were built, including 25 for export to Mexico, and four built in Canada...
(Retired 2009) - EMD F40PHEMD F40PH-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...
In popular culture
- The Alaska Railroad was prominently featured in the movie Runaway TrainRunaway Train (film)Runaway Train is a 1985 film about two escaped convicts and a female train worker who are stuck on a runaway train as it barrels through snowy desolate Alaska. It stars Jon Voight as Oscar "Manny" Manheim, Eric Roberts as Buck, John P. Ryan as Associate Warden Ranken and Rebecca De Mornay as Sara...
. - The Simpson family rides the Alaska Railroad in The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, although the colors and configuration of cars and engines are inaccurate. - The railroad is mentioned in the 1995 film BaltoBaltoBalto was a Siberian Husky sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. The run is commemorated by the...
. - The railroad is briefly seen in the opening of the 2007 film Into the WildInto the Wild (film)Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by Sean Penn. It is an adaptation of 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer based on the travels of Christopher McCandless across North America in the early 1990s. The film stars Emile Hirsch as McCandless with...
.
General references
- Alaska Railroad
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- Surface Transportation BoardSurface Transportation BoardThe Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
, ALASKA RAILROAD CORPORATION--CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION EXEMPTION--RAIL LINE BETWEEN EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE (NORTH POLE) AND FORT GREELY (DELTA JUNCTION), AK, October 4, 2007
Historical References
- Also see:
- Rights of way in Alaska; railroad rights of way; reservations; water transportation connections; State title to submerged lands; Federal repossession as trustee; "navigable waters" defined; posting schedules of rates; changes in rates
} Rights of way for Alaskan wagon roads, wire rope, aerial, or other tramways; reservations; filing preliminary survey and map of locations; alteration, amendment, repeal, or grant of equal rights; forfeiture of rights; reversion of grant; liens
External links
- Alaska Railroad – Official Website
- Alaska Railroad – A current route map for the ARR
- John's Alaska Railroad Web Page – Unofficial Informational Site