Alaska Railroad, Scenic Byways, Transportation & Public Facilities, State of Alaska

General Information
Byway Highlights
Calendar of Events
Visitor Contact Info

Completed in 1923, the Alaska Railroad's main line extends from tidewater at Seward north to the Interior city of Fairbanks, about 470 miles of track.

Operating year-round passenger service between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the Alaska Railroad also offers service via Talkeetna, Denali, Seward and Whittier during the summer. Amenities available (not on all routes) include glass-domed luxury railcars, gourmet cuisine and a wide variety of overnight adventure and sightseeing packages. The Alaska Railroad is one of the last surviving 'flag stop' passenger rail lines in the U.S. - trains that will stop where and whenever passengers want to get on or off.

Alaska Railroad in the fall.
© Alaska Railroad

View the Bartlett and Spencer Glaciers within 48 miles of Seward.
A short rail spur tunnels through the rugged Chugach Mountains to Whittier.
Watch for bore tides and beluga whales as the rail runs along beautiful Turnagain Arm.
Now Alaska's largest city, Anchorage began as a construction camp for the railroad in 1914.
Visit the charming town of Talkeetna, the base of operations for climbing expeditions to Mount McKinley.
At Milepost 284 don't look down at Hurricane Gulch!
Denali National Park is the destination of many rail travelers.
Nenana is where President Warren G. Harding drove the golden spike to complete the railroad in 1923.
Disembark in Fairbanks for endless adventure opportunities in Alaska's vast north.