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Alaska Railroad history
Alaska Railroad company history timeline
In 1903, the Alaska Railroad began construction of the first railroad in the territory, heading northward from the port at Seward on the Kenai Peninsula, with the goal of reaching interior communities.
Construction progressed at a tedious pace, thanks to the formidable terrain of the region, and by 1909, the railroad was in receivership.
By 1909, the company had built about 50 miles of track before going bankrupt and reorganizing as the Alaska Northern Railway.
The then-Alaska Territory's introduction to standard-gauge railroads began with the Alaska Central Railroad (AC), which opened 51 miles north from Seward in 1909.
The company reorganized and renamed itself Alaska Northern Railroad Co. and by 1910 had laid 51 miles of track.
The Alaska Northern extended the system to Kern Creek along Turnagain Arm, 71 miles from Seward, by 1910.
Following the Alaska's formal organization as a United States territory on August 24, 1912 the federal government put into motion efforts to open up the region to trade and exploration.
In 1912, Congress passed the Alaska Territorial Act, which included a provision establishing a commission to survey Alaska's transportation network.
Following the commission's report, Congress passed legislation in 1914 that empowered President Woodrow Wilson to construct and operate a railroad in the Alaska territory.
Encountering similar difficulties, the route was only extended by a further 24 miles, and by 1914 the railroad found itself in bankruptcy once again.
1915: Construction begins on the Alaska Railroad.
In 1915, the 70 miles of existing track was purchased from Alaska Northern, and Anchorage was established as a “tent city” railroad construction camp, as well as headquarters for the new Alaska Railroad Corporation.
Another significant setback occurred on January 22, 1916 when a severe fire destroyed the railroad's wharf in Seward.
Major construction of the railroad began in 1916, bogged down in part by the ongoing Great War in Europe (World War I).
The railroad was projected to extend a total of 473 miles with a branch extending northeasterly from the Knik Arm and running along the Matanuska River to serve coal lines in the river valley (this 38-mile branch, completed in 1917, has largely since been abandoned north of Palmer).
The southern segment (Anchorage-Turnagain Arm) was finished shortly after the Tanana Valley Railroad acquisition when the final rail was laid on September 17, 1918.
Renamed Anchorage in 1920, the city would soon grow to become the largest in Alaska, and is today the state’s main commercial, industrial, and economic hub.
When accounts tabulated the numbers the Alaska Railroad had cost more than $56 million and fiscal year's end in 1923 (June 30th) noted profits covered less than half of operating costs.
President Harding marked the official completion of the railroad by driving in the final “golden spike” in the town of Nenana on July 15, 1923.
Construction of the Alaska Railroad lasted until 1923, slowed by rough terrain and winter weather.
1927 Annual deficits decline to less than $1 million for the first time.
1930 A combined population of 5,400 people in Seward, Anchorage and Fairbanks, the three towns of any size along the railbelt, is unable to generate enough business to make the railroad profitable.
1938: Alaska Railroad has its first profitable year.
A new Anchorage passenger depot is completed in December 1941.
In 1941 two tunnels are built through the Chugach Mountains to allow rail access from the port of Whittier, a military fuel depot necessary to the war effort.
The Whittier Cutoff, as the new route was christened, opened in 1943.
By 1944 with the establishment of a second port at Whittier, the Alaska Railroad was all but complete and has changed little over the last 70+ years.
To attract more passengers, ARRC began running the streamliner AuRoRa in 1947, which upgraded passenger service between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Summer 1956 Began Midnight Sun operation which featured overnight sleeper car service.
The Army routed all of its traffic through the new port and the Cutoff for the remainder of the war, while commercial vessels continued to use Seward. (It was not until 1960 that the Army finally relinquished all control of Whittier and turned the port and the Cutoff over to ARRC.)
The company also trimmed its expenses by replacing steam locomotives with more efficient diesel ones and began to establish car-barge and train-ship services, thereby linking ARRC directly with railroads in the continental United States The project was ultimately completed in 1962.
More miles of rail are replaced than were replaced following the 1964 earthquake.
Diesel locomotives begin to replace steam engines, a process completed in 1966 when the last steam engine was sold.
In 1967, control of the Alaska Railroad passed from the Department of the Interior to the newly-formed Department of Transportation.
The pipeline project, which was designed to move oil from the North Slope of Alaska to Valdez and was completed in 1977, relied heavily on ARRC to transport the construction material, supplies, and crews needed to build the 800-mile tube.
1977: Construction begins on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
Spring 1981 The Railroad enters into agreements with Fairbanks and Anchorage school district career centers to begin a Tour Guide program that trains high school students to serve as hosts onboard summer passenger trains.
July 15, 1983 Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole and Governor Bill Sheffield sign a report detailing the Alaska Railroad's property, assets and liabilities to be transferred to the state.
September 23, 1983 The U. S. Railway Association sets the fair market value of the Alaska Railroad at $22.3 million.
Spring 1983 The Alaska Railroad initiated a corporate computer modernization project, installing the first networked Wang personal computers (PC) to support executive and administration functions.
In 1983, he signed legislation that authorized the transfer of ARRC to the state of Alaska.
In May of 1984, the railroad began pulling privately owned “superdome” train cars for a company called Tour Alaska.
1984 The Alaska Railroad develops new passenger services with the cruise industry, accepting contracts to pull superdome double-decker luxury coaches owned first by Tour Alaska, and subsequently by Princess, Holland America and other cruise companies.
Since 1984, ARRC had been hauling coal for the Usibelli Coal Mine from Healy to Seward.
January 5, 1985 The Alaska Railroad becomes the property of the State of Alaska in transfer ceremonies held in Nenana and Seward.
ARRC, which has been owned by the state of Alaska since 1985, played a significant role in the development of Alaska, and the company's fortunes continue to be tied to the economic well-being of the state it serves.
In March 1986, a chemical tank car began leaking formaldehyde in Crown Point and required ARRC to evacuate the local residents and spend about $650,000 in cleanup.
October 12, 1986 A once-in-100-year flood destroys two major bridges and several smaller bridges and covers the tracks in mud, causing nearly $3 million in damage.
1987 The corporation nets $3 million though budget cutting, personnel reductions and wage negotiations.
In 1988, freight accounted for nearly 90 percent of ARRC's income.
1988 The railroad hits a near record $5.8 million in profits.
1989 A new engineering shop is constructed in Anchorage.
By 1989, ARRC would invest $35.9 million in capital improvements.
In an effort to draw passengers from the port onto its line, the railroad constructed a new depot at Denali National Park in 1989.
It reopened in 1989 as a tourist railroad and today operates about 40 miles of its original main line.
December 31, 1990 Freight revenue for the year increases overall by 10 percent.
Built at a cost of $4.5 million, the new cars will be used on daily express trains between Anchorage and Fairbanks starting in 1990.
January 2, 1991 Frank G. Turpin retires as the first president and CEO of the Alaska Railroad Corporation.
4, 1991 Environmental Protection Agency assesses a $1.8 million fine for alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act storing hazardous wastes at the Anchorage rail yard.
May 1992 Employees in Anchorage move into a new headquarters building constructed along Ship Creek.
1992 Two 1,500 HP switch engines are purchased to free road engines for heavier work and improve customer service.
By 1992, ARRC had broken even on its passenger service.
MAPCO had been threatening to construct its own pipeline rather than pay ARRC. By avoiding this scenario, ARRC could continue to count on MAPCO's business, which accounted for 35 percent of ARRC's revenues in 1994.
A one-time charge of $18 million against earnings was taken to finance restructuring in 1994, for a total loss of $2.66 million.
April 1995 Former Governor Bill Sheffield is appointed to the Board of Directors and elected chairman.
In 1995, ARRC began building a recreational vehicle park and Comfort Inn on an 80-acre tract it owned in Fairbanks.
1995 Alaska Railroad shows a record profit of $7.9 million.
1995 Purchase aluminum hoppers cars.
ARCC received a $10 million federal grant in 1996, which it used to install new railroad ties and ballast and partially fund the upgrade of its microwave communication system.
In 1996, Dennis Washington, the principal owner of Montana Rail Link, expressed some interest in acquiring ARRC, and the state legislature passed a bill to appraise the railroad for sale.
May 1997 An iron rail rolls over and causes one of the largest passenger train derailments.
1997 Former Governor Bill Sheffield becomes CEO and President of the Alaska Railroad and John Binkley is named Chairman of the Board of Directors.
1997 Alaska Railroad invests over $800,000 in new depots and depot improvements
Apr 1997 John's Alaska Railroad Web Page is first posted on the Internet
July 1998 The Alaska Railroad celebrates its 75th anniversary
1998 A $28 million spending bill is approved which will provide an elevated train station at the Anchorage International Airport.
July 1999 The Alaska Railroad purchased nine coaches from the former Florida Fun Train for use by cruise ship passengers traveling from Seward to Anchorage.
1999 Whittier Tunnel opens to vehicular traffic and becomes the only rail/vehicle shared tunnel in the United States.
2000 Railroad purchases 16 new SD70MAC locomotives to increase fuel efficiency and capacity.
2001 Former Governor Bill Sheffield retires from the Railroad.
2001 Railroad completes new freight dock in Seward and upgrades the existing dock to a passenger-only facility.
2001 Railroad begins construction on track straightening program between Anchorage and Wasilla to improve safety and efficiency and reduce the transit time by 40 minutes.
2002 Real estate revenues exceed $11 million for the first time.
Economic downturns in the early 1990s and the first years of the new century prompted cruise ship tourists to stay home, which in turn adversely affected the railroad's business. For example, ARRC was hit hard in 2002 when the Usibelli Coal Mine lost its contract with Hyundai.
May 2003 Grand opening of the new airport railroad depot to regular passenger service.
Most successful year in Alaska Railroad history: net income reaches a record high of $14.5 million; fewer number of employees are injured than ever before; train incidents measured well below national average; and, Onboard Services Magazine names Alaska Railroad the best passenger railroad in 2003.
Commuter services have been proposed for the Anchorage area, and a passenger spur to Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport was completed in 2003.
2004 The South Palmer Station opens at the Alaska State Fair grounds in Palmer.
Oct 2004 SD70MACs begin receiving head end power (HEP)
April 16, 2005 The Alaska Railroad dedicates its new Anchorage Operations Center.
May 26, 2005 The Alaska Railroad dedicates its new Fairbanks Depot designed for traveler convenience, efficiency, safety and to meet the railroad's capacity needs for the next 30 years.
May 2005 The Alaska Railroad introduces its new GoldStar first class rail service by adding two new double-deck luxury cars built by Colorado Railcar to the Denali Star Train consists that operate daily mid-May through mid-September.
June 1, 2005 Passengers on the Alaska Railroad can choose to travel in first-class luxury in two new, custom-designed railcars.
May 2006 ARRC employee Dwight West wins Safety Person of the Year Award presented by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Associations.
August 2006 The Alaska Railroad, for the first time ever, issues the first round of tax-exempt bonds to fund an aggressive track refurbishment program.
June 2007 A partnership between the Alaska Railroad and the National Forest Service provide guests with whistle stop service in the Chugach National Forest.
August 2007 The Alaska Railroad Corporation and United States Forest Service introduce a new Whistle Stop Service to the Chugach National Forest.
The railroad has grown so much over the last twenty years that in 2007 it reopened 27 more miles of the original railroad, north to Carcross in the Yukon.
Jan 2008 Railroad takes delivery of four new SD70MACs.
June 2009 The state's congressional delegation announced the Alaska Railroad is getting a $25.8 million grant of federal stimulus money.
Aug 2009 First revenue gravel train to load at the new Granite Birchwood pit
July 2010 A 200-foot section of the Alaska Railroad’s main line through Elmendorf Air Force Base was damaged when a military C-17 cargo aircraft crashed.
August 2010 The Alaska Railroad selected the management contractor for the Northern Rail Extension project construction for an extension to Delta Junction.
Jan 2010 A lawsuit was filed in federal court over the problem of stockpiled coal dust blowing into Seward.
Jan 2010 The Alaska Railroad celebrates 25 years of state ownership.
Sep 2011 Twenty-one ceremonial shovels were wielded at the ground breaking for the $190 million Tanana River Bridge.
Dec 2011 Steam locomotive #557 returned to Alaska to begin a full blown restoration program and eventual excursions as a tourism train.
Oct 2013 The Railroad’s own Bill O’Leary is named CEO, becoming the first lifelong Alaskan to lead the railroad.
Oct 2015 The Alaska Railroad Corporation gained approval to begin transporting liquefied natural gas by railcar.
Some less conventional freight operations have also been undertaken, including the movement of snow from further north to Anchorage during a particularly warm winter, for the start of the Iditarod Dog Race in 2016.
Jan 2018 The Governor ordered a commuter rail study for Valley-Anchorage commuters.
Aug 2018 ARRC receives $10 million for Vital Functions for PTC to Improve Safety and Velocity
Jan 2019 Alaska Railroad installs winter shelter at Denali National Park depot to accommodate a growing number of winter visitors
"Alaska Railroad Corporation ." International Directory of Company Histories. . Retrieved June 21, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/alaska-railroad-corporation
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Alaska Railroad competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Rail Link | 1987 | $230.0M | 1,050 | - |
| BNSF Railway | 1996 | $20.7B | 41,000 | 278 |
| Penair | 1955 | $1.5M | 125 | - |
| Conrail | 1976 | $49.9M | 7,404 | - |
| The Eagle Group of Companies | 1903 | $7.2M | 49 | 11 |
| Pan Am Railways | 1981 | $150.0M | 750 | - |
| Amerijet International | 1974 | $140.0M | 500 | 9 |
| STS Aviation Group | 1986 | $81.0M | 1,327 | 11 |
| Airtech Advanced Materials Group | 1973 | $60.7M | 200 | - |
| Metro-North Railroad | - | $210.0M | 5,000 | 10 |
Alaska Railroad history FAQs
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Alaska Railroad may also be known as or be related to Alaska Railroad, Alaska Railroad Corporation and Alaska Railroad, Corp.