ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Railroad has resumed operations after being shut down by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the Anchorage area on Friday, Nov. 30.
The first train to successfully cover the railroad’s entire route since the quake did so on Monday evening, with full service resuming Tuesday, Dec. 4, following the completion of extensive repairs. [See “Alaska Railroad continuing to make repairs following earthquake,” Trains News Wire, Monday, Dec. 3.]
“We could not be more pleased with the work our crews have done to get the Alaska Railroad back up and running in just over 72 hours,” Dale Wade, vice president of marketing and customer service, said in a press release. “This incredible effort from railroaders speaks to the grit and perseverance of Alaska and its people. We are happy to be able to return to serving our passengers and freight customers so quickly.”
Passenger service will resume Thursday with the winter Hurricane Turn, followed by regularly scheduled Aurora Winter Trains this weekend. Holiday trains will also resume service this weekend.
The Alaska Railroad ticketing office is open to assist passengers with questions and to rebook or refund tickets that may have been canceled while trains were out of service. For additional information, visit www.alaskarailroad.com or call 800-544-0552.
Would have been interesting to see had “Railroad Alaska” still been filming.