Alaska Railroad - Railfan Travel

Quick Facts

Year Founded	1903
Total Track Mileage	470
Total Locomotives	57
Number of Employees	432
Number of States Located In	1
Headquarters	Anchorage Alaska
Websites	https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/buy-tickets https://www.alaskarailroad.com/corporate/careers

Introduction

The Alaska Railroad (coverage mark ARR) is a Class II railroad that operates products as well as passenger trains in the state of Alaska. The railroad’s mainline is over 470 miles long as well as runs in between Seward on the southerly shore and Fairbanks, near the center of the state and also the Arctic Circle, going through Anchorage as well as Denali National Park where 17% of visitors arrive by train. The railroad has concerning 656 miles of track, including sidings, rail yards and also branch lines, consisting of the branch to Whittier, where the railroad interchanges freight railcars with the adjoining United States through rail barges that cruise between the Port of Whittier and also Harbor Island in Seattle.

History

Building and construction of the railroad started in 1903 when the Alaska Central Railroad developed a line beginning in Seward as well as prolonging 50 miles north. The Alaska Central went bankrupt in 1907 and also was rearranged as the Alaska Northern Railroad Company in 1911, which expanded the line an additional 21 miles 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 also bought the railway from the economically having a hard time Alaska Northern.

As the government started building the approximated $35 million railroad, it opened up a building town along Ship Creek, eventually generating Anchorage, now the state’s largest city. In 1917, the federal government bought 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 travelling to Alaska to drive a ceremonial golden spike at Nenana. Possession of the railroad passed from the federal government, to the state of Alaska on January 6, 1985.

In 2021, the system had a ridership of 166,400, or regarding 800 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2022. In 2019, the firm created a US$ 21.6 million revenue on incomes of US$ 203.9 million, holding US$ 1.1 billion in overall possessions.

PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT TRESPASS UPON RAILROAD PROPERTY. NOR TRESSPEASS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE OWNER.

Riding the Line

Alaska Railroad is the only American railroad that features regularly scheduled inter-city passenger trains that the railroad actually operates. A lot of traffic is generated from the tourist cruise industry.

The line can be boarded at any of the major cities it serves

Equipment on the line can feature a variety of passenger cars, from coach cars to full length dome cars.

Alaska offers some very scenic traveling.
This is one of those trips that any railfan should enjoy. If there’s any way you can get a ride on an Alaska Railroad train, by all means do it. You won’t regret it!

https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/buy-tickets

A one way ticket from Anchorage to Whittier is listed as $98.00

Often times the trip on the train can be packed in with a cruise