Construction of the railroad started in 1903 when the Alaska Central Railroad built a line starting in Seward and extending 50 miles (80km) north. The Alaska Central went bankrupt in 1907 and was reorganized as the Alaska Northern Railroad Company in 1911, which extended the line another 21 miles (34km) northward. On March 12, 1914, the U.S. Congress agreed to fund construction and operation of an all-weather railroad from Seward to Fairbanks and purchased the rail line from the financially struggling Alaska Northern.[7]
As the government started building the estimated $35 million railroad, it opened a construction town along Ship Creek, eventually giving rise to Anchorage, now the state's largest city. In 1917, the government purchased the narrow gauge Tanana Valley Railroad, mostly for its railyard in Fairbanks. The railroad was completed on July 15, 1923 with President Warren G. Harding traveling to Alaska to drive a ceremonial golden spike at Nenana. Ownership of the railroad passed from the federal government to the state of Alaska on January 6, 1985.
In 2023, the system had a ridership of 226,000, or about 1,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. In 2019, the company generated a US$21.6 million profit on revenues of US$203.9 million, holding US$1.1 billion in total assets.[8]
History
A 1915 photograph of the railroad under construction.
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 (82km) 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 (34km) northward. From the new end, goods were floated down the Turnagain Arm in small boats. The Alaska Northern Railroad went into receivership in 1914.
At about this time, the United States government was planning a railroad route from Seward to the interior town of Fairbanks. President William Howard Taft authorized a commission to survey a route in 1912. The line would be 656 miles (1,056km) long and provide an all-weather route to the interior.[7]
In 1914, the government bought the Alaska Northern Railroad and moved its headquarters to Ship Creek, in what would later become 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-mile (72km)3ft (914mm) (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 section between Fairbanks and Happy was converted to dual gauge to complete the 4ft8+1⁄2in (1,435mm) standard gauge line from Seward to Fairbanks. The government extended the southern portion of the track to Nenana, and later converted the extension to standard gauge. The Alaska Railroad continued to operate the remaining TVRR narrow gauge line as the Chatanika Branch (the terminus was near the Yukon River), until decommissioning it in 1930.
In 1923 they built the 700-foot (213m)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.
An Alaska Railroad passenger train rolling between Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
The Alaska Railroad's first diesel locomotive entered service in 1944. The railroad retired its last steam locomotive in 1966.
In 1958, land for the future Clear Air Force Station was purchased. (Clear is about 15 kilometers (9.3mi) south of Nenana.) Approximately 40,000 feet (12km) of track were diverted, and later a spur was constructed to deliver coal to its power station.
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.[9]
In 1975-76, an infusion of $15 million from the DOT enabled various capital improvements including those to facilitate hauling materials for the Alaska Pipeline.[10]
On January 6, 1985, the state of Alaska bought the railroad from the U.S. government for $22.3million, based on a valuation determined by the US Railway Association.[11][12] The state immediately invested over $70million on improvements and repairs that compensated 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 state's other quasi-corporations: the Alaska Permanent Fund, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.
A northbound Alaska Railroad passenger train idles at the Seward, Alaska, depot on June 30, 2010
Proposed expansion in Alaska
Anchorage Yard, ca. 1940s
Northern Rail Extension to Delta Junction
An extension of the railroad from Fairbanks to Delta Junction over a bridge spanning the Tanana River was envisioned as early as 2009.[citation needed] The 2011 Alaska state budget would provide $40million in funding for the bridge, which initially be only for vehicular use. The United States Department of Defense would provide another $100million in funds, as the bridge and a subsequent rail line would provide year-round access to Fort Greely and the Joint Tanana Training Complex.[13] Groundbreaking ceremony for the Tanana River Bridge took place on September 28, 2011,[14] and the new bridge was opened (for military road traffic only) in 2014.[15]
A spur line was built to Ted Stevens International Airport in 2003, along with a depot, officially named after Bill Sheffield. The line never received scheduled service but cruise lines charter trains to convey passengers between ships and the airport.[17] The railroad currently leases the depot to citizens for private events such as conferences, seminars, and corporate functions.[18]
In 2001 federal legislation, sponsored by Republican U.S. senator (and later Alaska governor) Frank Murkowski, formed a bilateral commission to study feasibility of building a rail link between Canada and Alaska;[19] Canada was asked to be part of the commission, but the Canadian federal government did not choose to join the commission or commit funds for the study. However, the Yukon territorial government did show some interest.[citation needed]
Following the demise of the ill-fated Keystone XL Pipeline project, the Alaska Canada Rail Link (ACRL) was rekindled as an alternative.[24] In November 2015, the National Post reported that a link between the southern provinces and the Alaska Railroad was again being considered by the Canadian federal government, this time routing to Alberta. In this scenario, the route would originate at Delta Junction and use Carmacks as a hub, as in prior plans. The route would continue through Watson Lake, Yukon, en route to a stop at Fort Nelson, British Columbia. It would continue to Peace River, Alberta, with its southern terminus at Fort McMurray. The route was endorsed by the Assembly of First Nations.[25][26] It was unclear whether this rail connection would ever be utilized for passenger service.
On September 25, 2020, then President Donald Trump announced he would issue a presidential permit to the Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A Railway),[27] which had an agreement with Alaska Railway[28] to develop a joint operating plan for the rail connection to Canada. The proposed A2A Railway would have connected to the Alaska Railroad at North Pole, Alaska, and run through Yukon Territory to Fort Nelson, and from there to a terminus at Fort McMurray, Alberta.[29] (The A2A Railway had also been negotiating with the Mat-Su Borough on an agreement to complete the Port Mackenzie Railway Extension.)[30]
Executives
General managers under federal ownership
Col. Frederick Mears, 1919-1923 (was originally head of the railroad as chairman of the Alaska Engineering Commission)
The Alaska Railroad's "Glacier Discovery" train.A passenger train pulls into the Denali Station in July 1998.
The railroad is a major tourist attraction in the summer. Coach cars feature wide windows and domes. 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.
Routes
The Denali Star runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks[36] (approximately 12 hours one-way)[37] and back with stops in Talkeetna and Denali National Park, from which various flight and bus tours are available. The Denali Star only operates between May 15 and September 15.[37] Although the trip is only about 356 miles (573km), 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 (95km/h) but sometimes hovers closer to 30 miles per hour (48km/h).
The Aurora Winter Train[38] is available in winter months (September 15 - May 15) on a reduced weekend-only schedule (Northbound, Saturday mornings; Southbound, Sunday mornings) between Anchorage and Fairbanks on the same route as the Denali Star.
The Coastal Classic winds its way south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm before turning south to the Kenai Peninsula, eventually reaching Seward. This 114-mile (183km) trip takes around four and a half hours due to some slow trackage as the line winds its way over mountains.
The Glacier Discovery provides a short (2-hour) trip south from Anchorage to Whittier for a brief stop before reversing direction for a stop at Grandview while returning to Anchorage in the evening.
The Hurricane Turn provides rail service to people living between Talkeetna 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 Grandview Cruise Train is a set of single-level passenger dome cars that Alaska Railroad makes available for charter to cruise line operators for the transportation of their passengers exclusively, typically between May 15 and September 15. On alternate Mondays this train operates under charter to NCL Holdings between Anchorage International Airport and the Whittier NCL Depot, where it meets Norwegian Cruise Line vessels. On Thursdays and Fridays this train operates under charter to Royal Caribbean Group between Anchorage International Airport and the Dale R. Lindsey Alaska Railroad lntermodal Terminal in Seward, where it meets Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises vessels. On Sundays this train operates under charter to HAP Alaska-Yukon between Anchorage Depot and the Whittier HAP Depot, where it meets Holland America Line vessels. On Saturdays and alternate Wednesdays this train operates under charter to HAP Alaska-Yukon between McKinley station, located 3.4 miles south of Talkeetna, and the Whittier HAP Depot, where it meets Princess Cruises vessels; this operation is known as the McKinley Express.
The Denali Express uses a set of bilevel passenger dome cars that are owned by Tour Alaska, a subsidiary of Carnival, and a single bilevel passenger dome car that is owned by Alaska Railroad, with all cars operated under contract by Alaska Railroad. This train operates Saturdays, Sundays, and alternate Wednesdays exclusively for Holland America Line and Princess Cruises passengers. The train operates between Denali Park Depot and Whittier HAP Depot, where it meets Holland America Line and Princess Cruises vessels.
The McKinley Explorer uses a set of bilevel passenger dome cars that are owned by Tour Alaska, a subsidiary of Carnival, operated under contract by Alaska Railroad. This train operates daily and is available to all persons, whether a cruise line passenger or not. The train operates between Denali Park Depot and Anchorage Depot.
The Wilderness Express uses a bilevel passenger dome car that is owned by Premier Alaska Tours, and which is attached to the Denali Star train and operated by Alaska Railroad. This service operates daily and is available to all persons, whether a cruise line passenger or not. While the Wilderness Express is part of the same consist as the Denali Star, there is no passage between this car and the Denali Star cars. The train operates between Fairbanks Depot and Anchorage Depot.
Note that the spur affording access to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is used during the summer season for cruise ship service only. It was activated temporarily during the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) 2006 convention to provide airport-to-hotel mass transit for delegates.
Rolling stock
Freight train featuring open and closed cars with ARR 1093, near Alyeska area, Seward Highway, making a winter run, 2013
By 1936, the company had rostered 27 steam locomotives, 16 railcars, 40 passenger cars and 858 freight cars.[39]
Active
As of 2022[update], Alaska Railroad rosters a total of 51 locomotives, two control cab units, and one DMU (self-propelled railcar):
An older car repurposed as part of an ice plant on the Homer Spit
In 2011 the Alaska Railroad reacquired ARR 557, the last steam locomotive bought new by the railroad[40] and the last steam locomotive used by the railroad, with the intent to refurbish and operate it in special excursions between Anchorage and Portage.
A USATC S160 "2-8-0 Consolidation" engine built in 1944[41] by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 557 was originally coal-fired but was converted to oil in 1955. It operated until 1964, when it was deemed surplus and sold as scrap. It was purchased by Monte Holm of Moses Lake, Washington and displayed in his House of Poverty Museum.[42]
After Holm's death in 2006, Jim and Vic Jansen bought 557 from the museum and returned it to the Alaska Railroad on the condition that it be restored to operation and put into service.[43]
The locomotive was sold to the non-profit Engine 557 Restoration Company for "One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable considerations"[44][full citation needed] and they have invested (as of January 2019[update]) 77 months and over 75,000 hours of volunteer time in the restoration and overhaul.[45][full citation needed]
In popular culture
The Alaska Railroad was prominently featured in the movie Runaway Train.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its borough seat is Palmer, and the largest community is the census-designated place of Knik-Fairview. As of the 2020 census, the borough's population was 107,801.
Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 census put the population of the city proper at 32,515 and the population of the Fairbanks North Star Borough at 95,655, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Alaska after Anchorage. The Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and is the northernmost metropolitan statistical area in the United States, located 196 miles by road south of the Arctic Circle.
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, located 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska Valley. It is the ninth-largest city in Alaska, and forms part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 5,888, down from 5,937 in 2010.
Talkeetna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 1,055, up from 876 in 2010.
Susitna North is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,564 at the 2020 census, up from 1,260 in 2010. The CDP was formerly named Y, for the intersection of the George Parks Highway and the Talkeetna Spur Road. In the immediate vicinity of this intersection is a community center, containing a health clinic, law enforcement, Susitna Valley High School, and retail services for highway travelers such as gasoline and food.
Nenana (Lower Tanana: Toghotili; is a home rule city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the Unorganized Borough in Interior Alaska. Nenana developed as a Lower Tanana community at the confluence where the tributary Nenana River enters the Tanana. The population was 378 at the 2010 census, down from 402 in 2000.
The Susitna River is a 313-mile (504 km) long river in the Southcentral Alaska. It is the 15th largest river in the United States, ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth. The river stretches from the Susitna Glacier to Cook Inlet's Knik Arm.
The George Parks Highway, usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles (520 km) from the Glenn Highway 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior. The highway, originally known as the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway, was completed in 1971, and given its current name in 1975.
This article discusses transportation in the U.S. state of Alaska.
The Tanana Valley Railroad (TVRR) was a 3 ft narrow gauge railroad that operated in the Tanana Valley of Alaska from 1905 to about 1917. A portion of the railroad later became part of the Alaska Railroad.
The Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES) was established in 1898 in Sitka, Alaska, also the site of the first agricultural experiment farm in what was then Alaska Territory. Today the station is administered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks through the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences. Facilities and programs include the Fairbanks Experiment Farm, the Georgeson Botanical Garden, the Palmer Research and Extension Center, the Matanuska Experiment Farm, and the Reindeer Research Program.
As of 2020, Alaska has a population of 733,391.
Princess Tours is an Alaskan sightseeing passenger car service owned by Princess Cruises and operated by its Rail Division. Princess Tours runs ten cars a day from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad, stopping at Talkeetna, Denali, and occasionally Whittier. Each train consists of five cars and is staffed by a crew of 32 people.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Alaska:
Talkeetna Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.9 km) east of the central business district of Talkeetna, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska.
Talkeetna Air Taxi, established in 1947 as Talkeetna Air Service, is a Talkeetna, Alaska-based flight company. It operates wheel-ski equipped bush planes, and is one of less than a half-dozen air services with a permit to land in Denali National Park. Historically, business included supply runs to remote homesteads and prospecting claims—though in the past decade traffic has been primarily tourist and climber related.
The 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 year at a less frequent weekend schedule. The train is ridden by many tourists visiting the Denali National Park. The train consists of single level coaches and dome cars.
Matanuska-Susitna Valley is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage, Alaska. It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually in Palmer at the Alaska State Fair. It includes the valleys of the Matanuska, Knik, and Susitna Rivers. 11,000 of Mat-Su Valley residents commute to Anchorage for work . It is the fastest growing region in Alaska and includes the towns of Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, Willow, Sutton, and Talkeetna. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is primarily the land of the Dena'ina and Ahtna Athabaskan people.
Curry is a ghost town in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It was also known as Dead Horse. Its post office was founded with that name as well.
1 2 Cohen, Stan (1981). The Forgotten War: A Pictorial History of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN0-933126-13-1, p. 61
"The Alaska Railroad". Engineering & Mining Journal. 98 (19): 846. November 7, 1914. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
Also see:
43U.S.C.§942-1 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
43U.S.C.§942-6 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
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