GIRDWOOD, Alaska — A section of the Alaska Railroad along Turnagain Arm reopened Friday, Jan. 20, after being closed Tuesday by a derailment caused by an avalanche, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
The line reopened about 4:30 p.m. following the completion of repairs near milepost 71.5.
Three locomotives derailed after hitting avalanche debris in the early-morning hours on Tuesday [see “Alaska Railroad train derailed …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 18, 2023]. Two locomotives that derailed completely have been removed from the scene; a third is still on site awaiting rerailing when conditions permit.
Howdy:
A light consist of two 4000 series locomotives went south from the Anchorage Terminal approximately 4:00pm on Friday, 20 January and returned north with the manifest freight at approximately 10:30pm which included one of the three 3000 series locomotives from the original train.
Doug Johnson
Anchorage, Alaska