Alaska Railroad Answers
Some of the most common questions that we receive at Alaska Tour & Travel are about the Alaska Railroad. It is amazing how many people believe that the Alaska Railroad runs through Canada all the way to the lower 48 States.
The history of the Alaska Railroad involves many ownership changes. The Alaska Railroad was started in Seward in 1903 under the name of Alaska Central Railroad. They completed 51 miles of track before going bankrupt in 1907. In 1909, the Alaska Northern Railroad Company purchased the railroad and completed 21 more miles of track. In 1914, the federal government purchased the line with the intent of creating a direct route between Seward and the town of Fairbanks in the interior of Alaska. President Harding drove the final spike that completed the railroad in 1923. In 1985, the State of Alaska purchased the railroad from the Federal Government.
The railroad is a valuable link between the interior of Alaska and the ice free ports of Seward and Whittier. The railroad continues to operate both freight and passenger services. The passenger service offers not only transportation from point A to point B but has the benefit of incredible Alaskan scenery along the way. Alaska Tour & Travel offers many rail vacation packages that feature travel on the Alaska Railroad. (more…)
