| Mar. 12, 1914 | The U.S. Congress agrees to fund construction and operation of a railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. Estimated construction cost - $35 million. |
| June 1915 | Anchorage is created as a railroad construction town along Ship Creek where the railroad moves its headquarters from Seward. |
| 1917 | Railroad construction crews peak at 4,500 workers. |
| July 15, 1923 | President Warren G. Harding drives the golden spike in ceremonies in Nenana, one of the state's largest cities. |
| 1927 | Annual deficits decline to less than $1 million for the first time. |
| 1930 | A combined population of 5,4000 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 | Under the management of Col. Otto F. Ohlson, the Alaska Railroad operates its first profitable year. |
| 1940-43 | World War II brings large profits from hauling military and civilian supplies and materials. 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. A new Anchorage passenger depot is completed in December 1941. |
| 1944 | Whittier opens as a second port. Diesel locomotives begin to replace steam engines, a process completed in 1966 when the last steam engine was sold. |
| Post-War | Congress approves $100 million rehabilitation program. |
| June 15, 1947 | First one day service between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The original schedule was 14 hours, but following track improvements, reduced it to 11 hours by the mid 1950s. |
| Oct. 18, 1947 | The inaugural run of the AuRoRa, a blue and gold streamliner, marks upgraded passenger service between Anchorage and Fairbanks. |
| 1953 | Competition from roads forces Seward passenger service to be discontinued. Extensive track rehabilitation completed. |
| Summer 1956 | Began Midnight Sun operation which featured overnight sleeper car service. This was discontinued in the mid-1960s. |
| May 1962 | First car-barge service established at Whittier, followed by train-ship service in June 1964. These services enable rail cars from any rail point in the lower 48 to be shipped to any point along the Alaska Railroad. |
| Apr 25, 1963 | President John F. Kennedy signs executive order making the Alaska Railroad tariff rates subject to the Interstate Commerce Commission. |
| Mar 27, 1964 | Railroad damage from the earthquake is estimated at $30 million. Freight service from Anchorage to Fairbanks is restored April 6, passenger service is back on line April 11, and freight service to Whittier resumes April 20. |
| Apr 1967 | Control of the Alaska Railroad passes from the Secretary o the Interior to the Secretary of Transportation. |
| Jan. 14, 1983 | President Ronald Reagan signs into law legislation authorizing transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the state of Alaska. |
| Apr 20, 1983 | Dedication of a new rail barge doubles the Canadian National Aqua-Train rail capacity to Alaska from Prince Rupert, B.C. The new barge carries 56 cars per trip. |
| July 15, 1983 | Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole and Gov. Bill Sheffield sign a report detailing the Alaska Railroad's property, assets and liabilities to be transferred to the state. |
| Sep. 23, 1983 | The U.S. Railway Association sets the fair market value of the Alaska Railroad at $23 million. |
| May 1984 | Alaska legislature authorizes Gov. Bill Sheffield to negotiate with the federal government on the Railroad's transfer to the state. Tour Alaska attached the first three private dome railcars to the Anchorage/Fairbanks daily train service. |
| July 5, 1984 | Gov. Bill Sheffield signs legislation establishing the quasi-public Alaska Railroad Corporation and its seven-member board of directors. |
| Jan. 5, 1985 | The Alaska Railroad becomes the property of the state of Alaska n transfer ceremonies held in Nenana and Seward. |
| 1985 | The Alaska Railroad nets $7.1 million after its first year under new management. Groundwork is set to increase revenues from petroleum products and piggyback trailer service by operating overnight priority trains between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and reduce losses from passenger service through purchase of more efficient equipment. The Corporation purchases five new locomotives and 45 new railcars for $9 million. More miles of rail are replaced than following the 1964 earthquake. |
| Mar 3, 1986 | A leaking chemical tank car at Crown Point causes the evacuation of local residents and costs the railroad about $650,000 to clean affected homes and reimburse expenses of those displaced by the incident. |
| Apr 7, 1986 | A coal train derails near Curry, spilling 22 carloads of coal on the ground and forcing closure of the line for three days. Repair cost the corporation about $350,000 for the repairs. |
| Oct. 12, 1986 | A once-in-100-years flood knocks out two major bridges and several smaller bridges and covers the tracks in mud, causing nearly $3 million in damage. Service is restored within 13 days. |
| 1986 | Expenses associated with Crown Point, the coal train derailment and the flood result in a net loss for the year of $985,000. |
| 1987 | The corporation nets $3 million though budget cutting, personnel reductions and wage negotiations. |
| May 1987 | After 18 months of talks, employees and the Corporation agree to one master labor contract that provides equal benefits and policies for all represented employees. |
| Westours attaches its first six private dome railcars to the daily summer express train between Anchorage and Fairbanks. | |
| 1988 | The railroad hits a near record $5.8 million in profits. |
| Shipments of petroleum products and pipe for the oil fields nearby double, indicating a rebound in the local economy, and after a 10-year hiatus, logs are hauled on the Alaska Railroad. Export shipments from the Matanuska Valley and the Interior total 2.8 million board feet. | |
| A new depot is constructed at Denali Park, ultimate destination of thousands of summer visitors. | |
| 1989 | Capital improvements total $20.2 million including $5.5 million for installation of more than 122,000 cross ties and $1.2 million for construction of a new Engineering Shop Building in Anchorage. |
| Six new passenger coaches and two new food service cars arrive from Korea. Built at a cost of $4.5 million, the new cars will be used on daily trains between Anchorage and Fairbanks starting in 1990. | |
| An agreement is reached with six bargaining units and management to extend for one year the existing collective bargaining agreement. | |
| Winter 1989-1990 | A severe winter of extended cold periods and heavy snowfall causes delays to train operations. A record 722 moose weakened by hunger and walking through deep snow, are killed by trains. Attempts to deter moose from the tracks include a pilot car which runs in front of freight trains to shoo moose away and noise-making shotgun shells. |
| May 19, 1990 | Passenger service begins using new passenger equipment for daily express service between Anchorage and Fairbanks. |
| May 28, 1990 | An Alaska Railroad train of 70 cars derails near Dunbar with 19 tank cars leaving the tracks and at least seven rupturing. Some 170,000 gallons of diesel and jet fuel spill, prompting a massive response by the railroad, contractors and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Within three weeks, the railroad has the majority of the spill cleaned up and has prepared a long-range plan for ADEC approval. Total bill for the cleanup operation reached $6 million. |
| Dec. 31, 1990 | Freight revenue increases overall by 10%. Net income for the year is $4.5 million. Ridership increased 16% over 1989, totaling 436,964 passengers. |
| Jan. 2, 1991 | Frank G. Turpin retires as the first president and CEO of the Alaska Railroad Corporation, The board of directors hires Robert S. Hatfield Jr., a 17-year veteran of the Southern Pacific Transportation Co., to head the operation. |
| Feb. 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. |
| Dec. 31, 1991 | Freight revenues drop 3%. Corporation earns $68.4 million in revenue; 2% below 1990 reflecting a flat Alaska economy. Net income totals $4.4 million after accruing for EPA fine which remains in dispute at the of the year. |
| May 1992 | Employees in Anchorage move into a new headquarters building constructed along Ship Creek. |
| Dec. 1992 | Revenue totals $68.1 million and expenses total $65.7, for a net income of $2.3 million, or about 50% less than 1991. Increased expenses are attributed to new and one-time expense such as lease payments for new headquarters building, post-retirement benefits for employees, incentive payments for an early retirement program and funds accrued for payment of an EPA fine. |
| Feb. 5, 1993 | A snow fleet consisting of two locomotives and a Jordan spreader derail at Eklutna and roll down an embankment along Knik Arm. Crews use bulldozers and cranes to hoist equipment up the bank and rerail. |
| April 27, 1993 | Four locomotives and 11 cars on a 55-car freight train derail near Chase when the train hits a mud slide. The mainline is closed 2.5 days. |
| Dec. 1993 | The railroad showed a loss for the second time since its transfer from federal ownership. The loss amounted to $862,000 on revenue of $63.9 million. A one-time charge of $18 million against earnings was taken to finance restructuring in 1994, for a total loss of $2.66 million. |
| Jan. 28, 1994 | The Alaska Railroad Corporation and MAPCO Alaska Petroleum Inc. announced that they reached an accord extending to the year 2013, the contract for the transportation of refined petroleum products. |
| Sep. 21, 1994 | A tractor-trailer runs through a grade crossing hitting a caboose injuring four railroad employees, one fatally. |
| Nov. 30, 1994 | The railroad brings up a 700-foot long rail grinder to remove imperfections on the rail. Cost is $1.2 million to realize a cost savings of $5.3 million over 10 years. |
| Dec. 1994 | The railroad records its third loss since its transfer from federal ownership. The company showed a net loss of $3.2 million on revenues of $59.6 million. |
| 1995 | Alaska Railroad shows a record profit of $7.9 million. The increase in profit is largely due to a 9 percent increase in petroleum shipment from MAPCO Alaska Petroleum, INC. The gain may also be attributed to an uncharacteristically long season due to mild weather conditions, which allowed for gravel shipments well into October. |
| 1995 | Purchase aluminum hoppers cars. |
| April 1995 | Former Gov. Bill Sheffield is appointed to Board and elected chairman. |
| Nov. 1995 | An agreement with Alaska Cargo Transport (ACT) is signed. It allows ACT to jointly use deck space on the railroad's Alaska Rail-Marine Service barge. ACT uses the space to transport containerized and break bulk cargo between Seattle and Whittier. |
| Dec. 1995 | Ridership hits a new high with 492,528 passengers riding the train during 1995. |
| 1996 | The Alaska Railroad shows a record profit of $8.0 million, surpassing the previous record profit of $7.9 million in 1995. |
| 1996 | Passenger ridership record: 512,000 |
| 1996 | Railroad receives $10 million in federal grants and installs 87,000 railroad ties. |
| 1996 | Alaska Legislature passes a bill to appraise the railroad for sale. The bill is vetoed by Gov. Tony Knowles. |
| 1997 | Alaska Railroad invests over $800,000 in new depots and depot improvements |
| 1997 | Former Governor Bill Sheffield becomes CEO and President of the Alaska Railroad and Johne Binkley is named Chairman of the Board of Directors. |
| Apr 1997 | John's Alaska Railroad Web Page is first posted on the Internet |
| May 1997 | An iron rail rolls over and causes one of the largest passenger train derailments. One locomotive and nine passenger cars fall sideways. No one was injured, but the track is closed for four days. |
| Sept. 1997 | The Board of Directors authorizes the purchase of eight new EMD SD70MACs locomotives at an estimated cost of $1.9 each. Delivery is scheduled for early 1999. |
| July 1998 | The Alaska Railroad celebrates its 75th anniversary |
| July 1998 | An Alaska Railroad train of 79 cars derails near Elemendorf AFB with 16 cars leaving the tracks and dumping some 600 tons of gravel. No one was injured, but the track was closed for two days. |
| Oct. 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. |
| Oct. 1999 | Tank cars derail at Canyon, just south of Hurricane, and spilled 12,450 gallons of fuel. |
| Dec. 1999 | A tank train derails at Gold Creek. Fifteen tank cars leave the track and 5 of them spill 120,516 gallons of JP 8 jet fuel. |
| 2000 | Railroad initiates the Grandview passenger train to serve cruise ship passengers traveling between Seward and Anchorage. Computer Aided Dispatch introduced to Railroad to replace manual method of tracking trains on handwritten log sheets. |
| Feb. 2000 | An avalanche on the Seward Highway near Bird Flats kills Alaska Railroad bulldozer operator Kerry Brookman. |
| Feb. 2000 | The first of 16 SD70MAC locomotives arrives in Whittier. |
| June 2000 | An $80 million expansion to Whittier tunnel opens it to automotive traffic thus allowing it to be shared with train traffic. The Whittier Shuttle which hauled passengers and their automobiles is discontinued after 35 years. |
| Oct. 2000 | A 32 car passenger train ran from Anchorage to Indian making it the longest passenger train in the Alaska Railroad's history. |
| Oct. 2000 | The first of three rail barges is launched by Alaska Railbelt Marine (a subsidiary of Lynden) under a new 10 year contract. |
| 2001 | Former Governor Bill Sheffield retires from the Railroad. Patrick K. Gamble, former Four Star Air Force general, named new CEO and President of the Alaska Railroad Corporation. |
| 2001 | Railroad completes new freight dock in Seward and upgrades the existing dock to a passenger-only facility. Improved avalanche detection and prevention system installed. Railroad joins new partnership with Lynden to operate the rail barge service between Whittier and the Lower 48. The new tug boats and barges increase efficiency. |
| 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. |
| April 2002 | New web-based passenger reservation system implemented spiking reservations. |
| Oct. 2002 | On Sept. 26 the last load of Healy coal was hauled via contract between Usibelli Coal Mine and South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Usibelli had used the railroad two or three times a week for 18 years to ship $250 million of Alaska coal. |
| May 2003 | Grand opening of the new airport railroad depot to regular passenger service. |
| July 2003 | Heavy rains cause a washout at milepost 288 thus bringing rail traffic to a halt for several days. |
| July 2003 | Radar Railcar provides a demonstration of a self-propelled passenger car (Diesel Multiple Unit). |
| Sep. 2003 | New contracts between the railroad, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Usibelli Coal Mine paved the way for a revival of the export of coal from Healy to south Korea. |
| Apr 2004 | Railroad takes delivery of eight new SD70MACs. |
| Aug. 2004 | Railroad implements distributed locomotive power (DP) to improve train handling and service. |
| Oct 2004 | SD70MACs begin receiving head end power (HEP) |
| May 2005 | Completion of a new depot in Fairbanks |
| June 1, 2005 | Passengers on the Alaska Railroad can choose to travel in first-class luxury in two new, custom-designed railcars. |
| June 6, 2005 | A forklift on a flatcar strikes a wooden support beam in Moody tunnel which later collapses, closing the line for three days. |