Glacier Discovery

Glacier Discovery

Overview
Service type	Inter-city/Scenic Tour
Status	Operating
Locale	Alaska
Current operator(s)	Alaska Railroad
Route
Termini	Anchorage Grandview
Stops	6
Average journey time	approx. 10 hours [1]
Service frequency	Daily (May through September)
On-board services
Catering facilities	Cafe car
Baggage facilities	Available in Anchorage and Whittier
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	59 mph (95 km/h)
Track owner(s)	Alaska Railroad
Route map Legend Denali Star to Fairbanks 114 mi 183 km Anchorage 75 mi 121 km Girdwood 64 mi 103 km Portage Anton Anderson Tunnel 52 mi 84 km Whittier 55 mi 89 km Spencer 45 mi 72 km Grandview Coastal Classic to Seward This diagram: view talk edit

The Glacier Discovery is a passenger train operated by the Alaska Railroad between the towns of Anchorage, Whittier Alaska and south on the Seward rail line as far as Grandview whistle stop; then back again. It is a seasonal train, only operating between the months of May and September.

Station Stops

The Glacier Discovery utilizes part of the Anchorage–Seward route. It makes the following station stops: ^[2]

• Anchorage
• Girdwood
• Portage
• Whittier
• Portage
• Spencer Whistle Stop ^[3]
• Grandview Whistle Stop ^[3]

After the stop at Grandview the train travels back again:

• Spencer Whistle Stop
• Portage ^[A]
• Whittier
• Portage
• Girdwood
• Anchorage

Rolling Stock

The DMU leads the Glacier Discovery

The Glacier Discovery consist uses the following rolling stock

• 1 EMD GP38-2
• 1 baggage car
• 1-3 single level passenger cars
• 1 Colorado Railcar bi level DMU 751

Whittier, Alaska. There is no depot in Whittier. Trains load and off-load passengers in the white tented area across from the cruise ship terminal and the marina.

Notes

A. ^ Return travelers are offered the opportunity to transfer to a motorcoach in Portage, taking them directly back to Anchorage and allowing them to skip the train's return detour to Whittier. ^[4]

References

1. "Schedules". Alaska Railroad. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
2. "Alaska Railroad official train information". Archived from the original on 2008-10-11.
3. Whistle Stop Project Record of Decision (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Agriculture. May 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 20, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
4. "Glacier Discovery". Alaska Railroad. Retrieved November 26, 2021.

External links

• Alaska Railroad home page Archived 2009-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
• Map of Alaska Railroad with Glacier Discovery route marked in blue