Alaska/Railroads
This page describes known active railroads in Alaska: The Alaska Railroad and The White Pass and Yukon Route. (Also included is a short museum heritage steam train loop). If there are other railways or railroads (including inactive railway=disused or railway=abandoned segments), please gather cohesive, similarly tagged rail elements into a route=railway relation. If there is passenger service, create a route=train relation for each route.
Introduction
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II Railroad owned by the (People of the) state of Alaska, operating on 611 total miles of track, including 470 miles of main line. The Alaska Railroad connects south-central and interior Alaska, transporting freight and passengers upon its entirety, unique in USA Rail (view with OpenRailwayMap). The Alaska Railroad does not connect by land to Canada or the USA's lower 48 states, rather, connections to the greater North American freight rail network are via railcars on barges: Alaska Rail-Marine Service (owned by Alaska Railroad) between Whittier and Harbor Island, Seattle, Washington. Not entered into the route=railway tables below are minor spurs serving Anchorage ocean docks, minor spurs in Fairbanks, and other short spurs (Hurricane, AFB Clear, Curry, Chugiak-Birchwood...).
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and USA Class III? 3 foot (914 mm) railway=narrow_gauge linking the Port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon (Canada). An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the Port of Skagway, and via road through a few of the stops along its route.
A very short narrow gauge loop museum railroad, the Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad, located in Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, is included for completeness.
Mainline Rail (ARR)
| Name | Relation | Route | TIGER Review | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Subdivision | 15647834 15647834
|
CP 1051 (South Switch Coastal) - Anchorage - Wasilla - CP 1949 (North Switch Kashwitna) | Done | 90 miles of Alaska Railroad's (ARR) main line tagged usage=main between Anchorage and Willow. |
| Kenai Subdivision | 15573575 15573575
|
Seward - Portage - Girdwood - CP 1051 (South Switch Coastal) | Done | 105 miles of Alaska Railroad's (ARR) main line tagged usage=main between Seward and Anchorage. |
| Mountain Subdivision | 6824344 6824344
|
CP 1949 (North Switch Kashwitna) - Talkeetna - Hurricane - Denali - Healy - Nenana - Fairbanks | Done | 273 miles of Alaska Railroad's (ARR) main line tagged usage=main between Willow and Fairbanks. |
Branch and Industrial Rail (ARR)
| Name | Relation | Route | TIGER Review | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage International Airport Branch | 6836180 6836180
|
CP 1102 (Coastal Siding) - Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport | Done | 3 miles of ARR tagged usage=branch from Anchorage International Airport. May be better tagged railway=disused, though does see occasional "special use" passenger service. |
| Eielson Branch | 6835924 6835924
|
Fairbanks - Fort Wainwright - North Pole - Eielson AFB | Done | 19 miles tagged usage=branch east of Fairbanks through Fort Wainwright and North Pole continuing to a 4 mile usage=military spur at the boundary of Eielson AFB, currently Alaska Railroad's northern terminus. New railway=construction is extending this to Salcha and Delta Junction with the Northern Rail Extension Project. |
| Fairbanks International Airport Branch | 6836178 6836178
|
Eielson Branch MP 6.0 - Metro Field - Fairbanks International Airport | Done | 6 miles tagged usage=industrial from ARR's Eielson Branch to Fairbanks International Airport. |
| Palmer Branch | 6836179 6836179
|
Matanuska - South Palmer | Done | 6 miles tagged usage=branch from Matanuska to Palmer. |
| Port Mackenzie Branch | 15573576 15573576
|
Port Mackenzie - CP K320 (Houston Siding) | Done | Wye track tagged usage=branch. 32 miles of track under construction from Port Mackenzie to Houston. |
| Suntrana Branch | 15573574 15573574
|
Healy - Healy Power Plant | Done | 1.3 miles tagged usage=industrial from Healy to the Healy Power Plant. |
| Whittier Branch | 6835936 6835936
|
Whittier - CP F120 (Portage) | Done | 12 miles of ARR tagged usage=branch from Portage to Whittier. |
Military Rail (ARR or DoD?)
| Name | Relation | Route | TIGER Review | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eielson | 6858249 6858249
|
Eielson Branch - Eielson AFB | Done | 4 miles of usage=military rail plus a few additional short spurs on Eielson AFB. Currently Alaska Railroad's northern terminus. Name is a reasonable guess. |
| Fort Wainright Spurs | 6858242 6858242
|
Fort Wainright - The Alaska Railroad (Eielson Branch) | Done | Several short spurs and a siding tagged usage=military from Eielson Branch inside of Fort Wainright. Name is likely wrong. |
| JBER Spur | 6836181 6836181
|
JB Elmendorf-Richardson - The Alaska Railroad (main line) | Done | ~10 miles tagged usage=military from The Alaska Railroad (main line) to JB Elmendorf-Richardson. Name is likely wrong. |
Narrow Gauge Rail (WPY)
| Name | Relation | Route | TIGER Review | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Pass and Yukon Route | 1140614 1140614
|
Skagway - White Pass - Fraser (British Columbia) - Bennett (British Columbia) - Carcross (Yukon) - Whitehorse (Yukon) | Needs TIGER review | The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. Skagway - Carcross = 67.5 miles (108.6 km); Skagway - Whitehorse = 107 miles (172 km). Preserved tourism/heritage narrow-gauge railway. Skagway - Carcross section sees regular (passenger, freight) traffic. North of Carcross to Whitehorse is disused. |
| Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad | 6878805 6878805
|
Pioneer Park, Fairbanks | Done | A very short loop (1.1 km) narrow gauge railway serving the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum in Pioneer Park, Fairbanks |
Rail Construction Projects (ARR)
| Name | Relation | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Rail Extension Project | 6838074 6838074
|
North Pole - Eielson AFB - Salcha - Delta Junction | An 80+ mile ARR extension. Phase I (of IV) is complete; a rail bridge now spans the Tanana River at Salcha, believed complete, though still tagged railway=construction. Phase II, from North Pole to Salcha, will be constructed to FRA Class 5 track standards (79 MPH). Approximated segments, please improve with better trackage locations as they become known more precisely. |
| Port Mackenzie Rail Extension Project | 6838075 6838075
|
Port Mackenzie - near Houston, at The Alaska Railroad (main line) | A 32 mile ARR spur in middle-later phased construction, described in September, 2016 as 75% complete. However, end-of-project funding is proving difficult. It is anticipated that sometime during the 2020s this will become a new branch of ARR. Pretty rough, many approximated segments, please improve with better trackage locations as they become known more precisely. |
| South Wasilla Track Realignment Project | The single 1.8 mile way is entered | South Wasilla, at The Alaska Railroad (main line) between approximately MP 154 and 156 | Phase 1 of a "track straightening" ARR project now in late planning, ROW acquisition is complete. Engineering and early construction costs have been evaluated but are not identified. Phase 2 extends westerly an additional 2.2 miles, but is said to be less likely to be constructed due to continuing land development around Wasilla. Approximated segment, please improve with better trackage locations as they become known more precisely. |
Passenger trains
Alaska Railroad, seasonally year-round, regularly scheduled passenger service (ARR)
The Alaska Railroad connects south-central and interior Alaska, transporting passengers and freight upon its entirety, unique in USA Rail (view with OpenPublicTransportMap). Because of the highly seasonal (summer vs. winter) nature of Alaska passenger rail service, these route=trains should have opening_hours=* tags applied and be more accurately expressed in this table's Trains column (and synced with ref=* tags). Stations columns may disappear once stations stabilize in all v1 relations.
| Service Line | Route | Trains | Stations | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Winter | Train | Winter ONLY (September 15 - May 15): AM-All Day North, AM-All Day South, reduced schedule on weekends: Saturday AM-All Day North, Sunday AM-All Day South | Anchorage - Wasilla - Talkeetna - Denali - Healy - Nenana - Fairbanks | 6824366 6824366
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review" |
| Coastal Classic | Train | AM South, PM North | Anchorage - Girdwood - Seward | 6824343 6824343
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review" |
| Denali Star | Train | Summer ONLY (May 15 - September 15): AM-All Day South, AM-All Day North | Anchorage - Wasilla - Talkeetna - Denali - Healy - Nenana - Fairbanks | 6824342 6824342
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review." Station list may need adjustment. |
| Glacier Discovery | Train | AM South, PM North | Anchorage - Girdwood - Portage - Whittier - Portage - Spencer - Grandview | 6824341 6824341
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review." Station list may need adjustment. |
| Hurricane Turn | Train | Summer (May 15 - September 15): early PM South, late PM North. Winter (September 15 - May 15): AM North, PM South. | Talkeetna - Hurricane Flagstop Area - Hurricane Turn. A flagstop train its entire 57 mile length. | 6824340 6824340
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review" |
Alaska Railroad, Special Event scheduled passenger service (ARR)
ARR offers Special Event trains during limited periods. Chronologically through the calendar year: Ski Train, Easter Train, Who Let The Girls Out, Fair Train, Blues Train, Hoo Doo Choo Choo, Great Alaska Beer Train, Halloween Train and Holiday Train.
| Service Line | Route | Trains | Stations | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Airport | Train | Available ONLY for groups with sufficient advance notice and reservation (summertime only, e.g. cruise ship passengers) | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport - The Alaska Railroad | Relation not defined yet | No relation, as service depends on ad hoc advance arrangement/reservation |
| Ski | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Easter | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Who Let The Girls Out | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Fair | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Anchorage - Alaska State Fairgrounds (near Palmer) | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction |
| Blues | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Hoo Doo Choo Choo | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Great Alaska Beer | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Halloween | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction | |
| Holiday | Train | By advance ticket purchase only | Relation not defined yet | Table under construction |
White Pass and Yukon Route, tourism/heritage/historic trains (WPY)
WPY offers The White Pass Route heritage steam trains on its narrow gauge line through southeast Alaska, British Columbia and Yukon. There seem to be more route=trains available than the single Skagway - Carcross one entered here, please complete (in OSM and table below) any others that are known.
| Service Line | Route | Trains | Stations | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The White Pass Route | Train | No specific trains known | Skagway - White Pass - Fraser (British Columbia) - Bennett (British Columbia) - Carcross (Yukon) | 6876460 6876460
|
Complete; rough public_transport:version=1 v1; please "double-check review." Stations may need adjustment. |
Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad, tourism/heritage/historic train
This is a heritage steam train on a 1.1 km narrow gauge loop serving the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum at Pioneer Park, Fairbanks.
| Service Line | Route | Trains | Stations | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad | Narrow Gauge | No specific trains known | Pioneer Park, Fairbanks | Relation not defined yet | Incomplete, add stations |
Yards
Believed "mostly" complete for the larger yards, but if not (there may be more, smaller yards like Seward or Skagway), it would be very kind for OSM volunteers to improve this statewide "Yards" table with status on every single Alaska rail yard. The Bing imagery is unusably low resolution, so we explore http://browse.alaskamapped.org/orthos and GINA imagery: in JOSM, paste tms[16]:http://tiles.gina.alaska.edu/tilesrv/bdl/tile/{x}/{y}/{zoom} into Preferences -> Imagery. GINA link dead.
| Name | Area | Subdivision(s), Branch(es) Served | TIGER Review | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Yard | Anchorage | Central Subdivision | Done | Complete |
| Fairbanks Yard | Fairbanks | Mountain Subdivision, Eielson Branch | Done | Complete |
| Healy Yard | Healy | Mountain Subdivision | Done | Complete |
| Seward Yard | Seward | Kenai Subdivision | No TIGER tags | Complete |
| Skagway Yard | Skagway | White Pass and Yukon Route | No TIGER tags | This is not much more than some balloon track to a service shop, which is a yard! |
| Whittier Yard | Whittier | Whittier Branch | Done | Complete |
Abandoned lines
Former railroad lines, whether still visible on the ground or not, correctly expressed as route=railway relations when there are associated multiple ways. Ways are usually tagged railway=abandoned, railway=disused or rarely, railway=razed.
This table is incomplete. There are many abandoned railway segments in Alaska (though not or likely not in OSM). If you find or enter into OSM an abandoned line (relation link, Review Status...) that needs to be added, updated or improved in this table, please do so!
| Name | Relation | Route | TIGER Review | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBER re-route (not official name) | 6837995 6837995
|
Old line from apparent re-route near JB Elmendorf-Richardson | Needs TIGER review | Not known when this was abandoned. Some ways are tagged railway=disused. |
| Quarry near Fox (not official name) | 6837869 6837869
|
The Alaska Railroad (main line) - Quarry near Fox | Needs TIGER review | Not known when this was abandoned |
Color key for the TIGER Review (route=railway) columns and Service Line (route=train) columns in the tables above
Green means that the route's TIGER data in OSM are fully reviewed. This strongly implies that all other relation attributes are correct, but this isn't always strictly true; see Notes/Status column. Green does not conflict with active public_transport:version v1-v2 growth. Go!
Yellow means "only partially reviewed" ; additional volunteer work is needed to enter or correct additional route data (railway and/or train) into OSM. Yellow may also mean a route has a volunteer entering data, yet route ambiguities persist about what is actually correct.
Red means that "something" (often very little) is known about the route, so it is useful to put a row in the table about it as a placeholder, but it likely may be too early to create a route relation: route data are unknown, incomplete or route attributes are significantly missing.
Color key for the columns in the Passenger-oriented Route (route=train) tables above
For route=trains, these displayed (web) colors are intended to reflect real-world colors denoted by the transportation authority network, such as in printed, painted or otherwise visually branded materials directly associated with a particular route. A goal is towards more state/national agreement and completion. In Alaska, it is not known if ARR or WPY associates colors with particular routes like this, so if it does, changing from the current "railroad branding" (not route branding) of orange-over-blue or yellow-over-green on a route-by-route basis is appreciated. However, an initial example is that for Amtrak Cascades service in Washington state, OSM's Amtrak wiki table and Indy Hurt's transit-colours renderer both display a closely matching shade of green, which in turn (by intention) better match livery of rolling stock found only on those tracks by that line and class of service. Similar early harmony among Amtrak and California/Railroads/Passenger is underway, e.g. Capitol Corridor (California state poppy orange), Pacific Surfliner (ocean blue). Color harmony, in motion.