Hundreds of skiers, snowshoers and party people piled aboard the ski train on Saturday for a day-long trip to the former railroad resort town of Curry, now a ghost town.

[See story]

Who let the girls out? We're not sure, but they're all headed to Palmer -- and we're helping them get there in style aboard the Alaska Railroad. This special departure includes live music from Jared Woods and Woodrow onboard the train, as well as light fare, gift totes, games, contests, trivia and art. The fun continues upon arrival, as downtown Palmer celebrates Who Let The Girls Out: wear your walking shoes and be prepared to partake in everything from quilt shows to wine tastings, food preservation to raku pottery and more. After a full day in Palmer, relax and enjoy the train ride home.

[See story]

In response to declining freight in recent years and in search of new revenue, the Alaska Railroad Corp. is seeking bids for rentals of its locomotives.

[See story]
[Request for Proposals]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's largest city is so hungry for snow, organizers of the famous Iditarod sled dog race were forced to ship tons of it by train Thursday and dramatically shorten the event's ceremonial start this weekend.

[See story]

Snow for Iditarod ceremonial start arrives in Anchorage by rail

[See story]

ANCHORAGE - A train carrying seven car-loads of snow to be used for the Iditarod ceremonial start arrived in Anchorage Thursday morning.

[See story]

Here are a few photos that I took at the depot on Friday afternoon.

[See photos]

The Alaska Railroad delivers seven side-dump rail cars of Fairbanks snow to Anchorage on Thursday morning, March 3, 2016, to enable Iditarod to stage a ceremonial start on Saturday.

[See story]

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race mushers will travel only 3 miles through Anchorage during Saturday's ceremonial start instead of the traditional 11-mile route to the Campbell Airstrip, race organizers announced Wednesday.

[YouTube video]

[See story]

I’m sure columnist Charles Wohlforth felt a genuine lump in his throat as he pedaled for miles on the Port MacKenzie Rail embankment, worried about the sinking Alaska economy and casting blame on an unfinished rail project in his Feb.1 column. On his bike seat, overlooking an arm of Cook Inlet, he retreated to the safety of income taxes as a solution for our fallen oil prices and state deficit, rather than to what needs to be done: diversifying the economy beyond oil.

[See story]

How weird has Anchorage's weather been this winter? Weird enough that an Alaska Railroad spokesman said Monday that a train will deliver seven rail cars loaded with snow to the state's largest city this week in time for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start on Saturday.

[See story]

Fur Rondy and Iditarod officials are working with the Alaska Railroad to send snow by rail from Fairbanks to Anchorage ahead of the ceremonial start of the Iditarod and the Running of the Reindeer event Saturday.  

[See story]

ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Railroad is doing its part to help make sure the 2016 Fur Rendezvous and Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race have enough snow. The railroad will be hauling 300 cubic yards of snow from Fairbanks to Anchorage for use during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod and the Running of the Reindeer, a statement from Fur Rondy Executive Director Jeff Barney said. Both events are on March 5.

[See story]

The Northern Lights Model Railroad Club is hosting the annual Rondy Rail Fair, at their layout in Russian Jack Springs Park. Club members will be on hand to talk about the railroad and answer questions. There will be trains running on the layout. There will be door prizes including two round trip tickets on Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, and Alaska Railroad model train sets. Raffle tickets are free to anyone who visits during the Rail Fair. Parking and admission are free. This is a great family event, and is always popular with the kids.

[See story]

FAIRBANKS—The Alaska Railroad Corp. has highlighted its future project plans and goals, including a federal requirement to install Positive Train Control, in a draft of its State Rail Plan released Wednesday.

[See story]

2015 was a great construction year. The great spring gave us another early start on track laying and construction. The track crews put down over 2000 feet of track, with another 1600 feet of roadbed ready for rail in the spring of 2016. The station was moved and rebuilt, it looks great. Several new bridges have been installed on the McKensie Loop . All in all we have had a very productive year. Click here to download the entire January 2016 newsletter.

Freight headed towards Jacks Creek bridge

McKensie Loop spring 2015

Freight on the McKensie loop

Freight train on the Mckensie loop
.

Heading into late January of an unseasonably warm winter, a handful of tickets remained Thursday morning for the Ski Train sponsored by the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage, a wildly popular trip in past years.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad is celebrating the 2016 National Park Service centennial with a new eight-day itinerary visiting four of Alaska’s spectacular national parks.

[See story]