Construction of the railroad started in 1903 when theAlaska Central Railroad built a line starting in Seward and extending 50 miles (80 km) north. The Alaska Central went bankrupt in 1907 and was reorganized as theAlaska Northern Railroad Company in 1911, which extended the line another 21 miles (34 km) 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 alongShip Creek, eventually giving rise to Anchorage, now the state's largest city. In 1917, the government purchased the narrow gaugeTanana Valley Railroad, mostly for its railyard in Fairbanks. The railroad was completed on July 15, 1923, with PresidentWarren G. Harding traveling to Alaska to drive a ceremonial golden spike atNenana. Ownership of the railroad passed from the federal government to the state of Alaska on January 6, 1985. The state paid the United States the fair market value of therailroad.[8]
In 2024, the system had a ridership of 235,500, or about 1,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2025. In 2019, the company generated aUS$21.6 million profit on revenues ofUS$203.9 million, holdingUS$1.1 billion in total assets.[9]
A 1915 photograph of the railroad under construction.
In 1903 a company called the Alaska Central Railroad began to build a rail line beginning atSeward, on theKenai Peninsula in Alaska, northward. The company built 51 miles (82 km) of track by 1909 and went intoreceivership. This route carried passengers, freight and mail to the upperTurnagain Arm. From there, goods were taken by boat at high tide, and by dog team orpack train toEklutna and theMatanuska-Susitna Valley.
In 1909, another company, the Alaska Northern Railroad Company, bought the rail line and extended it another 21 miles (34 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.[citation needed]
At about this time, the United States government was planning a railroad route from Seward to the interior town of Fairbanks. PresidentWilliam Howard Taft authorized a commission to survey a route in 1912. The line would be 656 miles (1,056 km) long and provide an all-weather route to the interior.[7]
In 1914, the government bought the Alaska Northern Railroad and moved its headquarters toShip Creek, in what would later becomeAnchorage. The government began to extend the rail line northward.
In 1917, theTanana Valley Railroad in Fairbanks was heading into bankruptcy. It owned a small 45-mile (72 km)3 ft (914 mm) (narrow gauge) line that serviced the towns of Fairbanks and the mining communities in the area as well as the boat docks on theTanana River near Fairbanks.
The government bought the Tanana Valley Railroad, principally for its terminal facilities. The section betweenFairbanks andHappy was converted todual gauge to complete the4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge line fromSeward 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 theYukon River), until decommissioning it in 1930.
In 1923 they built the 700-foot (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. PresidentWarren G. Harding drove thegolden 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 futureClear Air Force Station was purchased. (Clear is about 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) south of Nenana.) Approximately 40,000 feet (12 km) of track were diverted, and later a spur was constructed to deliver coal to its power station.[citation needed]
The railroad was greatly affected by theGood 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.[10]
In 1975–76, an infusion of $15 million from the DOT enabled various capital improvements including those to facilitate hauling materials for theAlaska Pipeline.[11]
On January 6, 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.[12][13] The state immediately invested over $70 million 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: theAlaska Permanent Fund, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, and theAlaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.[citation needed]
A northbound Alaska Railroad passenger train idles at theSeward, Alaska, depot on June 30, 2010
An extension of the railroad fromFairbanks toDelta Junction over a bridge spanning theTanana River was envisioned as early as 2009.[citation needed] The 2011 Alaska state budget would provide $40 million in funding for the bridge, which initially be only for vehicular use. The United States Department of Defense would provide another $100 million in funds, as the bridge and a subsequent rail line would provide year-round access toFort Greely and the Joint Tanana Training Complex.[14] Groundbreaking ceremony for theTanana River Bridge took place on September 28, 2011,[15] and the new bridge was opened (for military road traffic only) in 2014.[16]
A spur line was built toTed Stevens International Airport in 2003, along with a depot, officially named afterBill Sheffield. The line never received scheduled service but cruise lines charter trains to convey passengers between ships and the airport.[18] The railroad currently leases the depot to citizens for private events such as conferences, seminars, and corporate functions.[19]
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;[20] 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-fatedKeystone XL Pipeline project, the Alaska Canada Rail Link (ACRL) was rekindled as an alternative.[25] In November 2015, theNational 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 toAlberta. In this scenario, the route would originate at Delta Junction and use Carmacks as a hub, as in prior plans. The route would continue throughWatson Lake, Yukon, en route to a stop atFort Nelson, British Columbia. It would continue toPeace River, Alberta, with its southern terminus atFort McMurray. The route was endorsed by theAssembly of First Nations.[26][27] It was unclear whether this rail connection would ever be utilized for passenger service.
On September 25, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump announced he would issue a presidential permit to theAlaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A Railway),[28] which had an agreement with Alaska Railway[29] to develop a joint operating plan for the rail connection to Canada. The proposed A2A Railway would have connected to the Alaska Railroad atNorth Pole, Alaska, and run through Yukon Territory to Fort Nelson, and from there to a terminus at Fort McMurray, Alberta.[30] (The A2A Railway had also been negotiating with the Mat-Su Borough on an agreement to complete the Port Mackenzie Railway Extension.)[31]
The Alaska Railroad's "Glacier Discovery" train.A passenger train pulls into theDenali 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.
TheDenali Star runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks[37] (approximately 12 hours one-way)[38] 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.[38] Although the trip is only about 356 miles (573 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 (95 km/h) but sometimes hovers closer to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
TheAurora Winter Train[39] 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.
TheCoastal Classic winds its way south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm before turning south to the Kenai Peninsula, eventually reaching Seward. This 114-mile (183 km) trip takes around four and a half hours due to some slow trackage as the line winds its way over mountains.
TheGlacier Discovery provides a short (2-hour) trip south from Anchorage toWhittier for a brief stop before reversing direction for a stop at Grandview while returning to Anchorage in the evening.
TheHurricane Turn provides rail service to people living betweenTalkeetna 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 lastflag-stop railway routes in the United States, passengers can board theHurricane Turn anywhere along the route by waving a large white flag or cloth.
TheGrandview 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 toNCL Holdings between Anchorage International Airport and the Whittier NCL Depot, where it meetsNorwegian Cruise Line vessels. On Thursdays and Fridays this train operates under charter toRoyal Caribbean Group between Anchorage International Airport and the Dale R. Lindsey Alaska Railroad Intermodal Terminal in Seward, where it meetsRoyal Caribbean International,Celebrity Cruises, andSilversea Cruises vessels. On Sundays this train operates under charter toHAP Alaska-Yukon between Anchorage Depot and the Whittier HAP Depot, where it meetsHolland 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 meetsPrincess Cruises vessels; this operation is known as theMcKinley Express.
TheDenali Express uses a set of bilevel passenger dome cars that are owned by Tour Alaska, a subsidiary ofCarnival, 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.
TheMcKinley 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.
TheWilderness 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 theTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport is used during the summer season for cruise ship service only. It was activated temporarily during theAlaska Federation of Natives (AFN) 2006 convention to provide airport-to-hotel mass transit for delegates.
An older car repurposed as part of an ice plant on theHomer Spit
In 2011 the Alaska Railroad reacquired ARR 557, the last steam locomotive bought new by the railroad[41] and the last steam locomotive used by the railroad, with the intent to refurbish and operate it in special excursions betweenAnchorage and Portage.
AUSATC S160 "2-8-0 Consolidation" engine built in 1944[42] byBaldwin 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 ofMoses Lake, Washington and displayed in his House of Poverty Museum.[43]
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.[44]
The locomotive was sold to the non-profit Engine 557 Restoration Company for "One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable considerations"[45][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.[46][full citation needed]
^abCohen, 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. Retrieved2009-08-14.
Also see:
43 U.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
43 U.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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