Railroad At a Glance ORGANIZATION FINANCIAL History, Ownership & Operation Financial totals for 2017 are audited. 2017 Assets: $1.07 billion Federal government built the railroad 1914 -1923 in order to open the territory to development. 2017 Revenue: $191.3 million (including $61.8 million in grant revenue) State purchased railroad in 1985 for $22.3 million. 2017 Net Income: $22.4 million Independent corporation managed by a 7-member board of directors appointed by the governor. 2018 Budgeted Net Income: $13.5 million State law mandates self-sustaining operations and Railroading is capital-intensive, requiring substantial responsibility for financial and legal obligations. investment to adequately maintain equipment and infrastructure. Revenue in excess of expense (net Mission income) is reinvested in capital improvement projects Provide safe, quality transportation and real and infrastructure maintenance programs. estate services. Operate profitably to be self-sustaining. BUSINESS LINES Foster economic development Freight Business (infrastructure and services). 2016 Freight: 4.77 million tons Assets The railroad hauls natural resources 656 total miles of track including coal, gravel and petroleum 776 freight railcars (owned) products; as well as major commodi- 44 passenger railcars ties including industry chemicals and 51 locomotives + 2 power cars supplies, dry goods, hazardous mate- rials, pipe, lumber, heavy equipment Yards: Seward, Anchorage, Whittier, Fairbanks and large specialty items. The Alaska Railroad offers seamless freight service Employees between shipping points in the Lower Not part of state personnel 48 to many destinations in Alaska. system. Crucial to this link is Alaska Rail 2017 Benefits & Wages: Marine, a rail-barge service operating $72.2 million between Seattle and Whittier. Year-round: 544 Seasonal: 134 Passenger Business Average Age: 44.4 Ave Years of Svc: 11.4 2017 Passengers: 505,994 Male: 554 (82%) Female: 124 (18%) The Alaska Railroad offers year-round regularly- Veterans: 109 (16%) Alaska Resident: 95.4% scheduled rail transportation. From mid-May to Union represented: 487 (72%) mid-September, trains run daily between Anchorage • AFGE/Alaska Railroad Workers 265 and Seward, Anchorage and Whittier, Anchorage • Alaska Train Dispatchers Association 9 and Denali/Fairbanks. During winter months (mid- • TCU/Brotherhood Railway Carmen 39 September to mid-May), trains operate between • International Brotherhood of Teamsters 54 Anchorage and Fairbanks primarily on weekends. Apr 2 • United Transportation Union 120 2018 Real Estate Business • ARRC provides in-kind donations, coordinates employee Real estate holdings: 36,228 acres: volunteers and supports educational activities as a busi- ness partner with schools in Anchorage and Salcha. 38% (13,738 acres) for track bed and right-of-way • Since 1981, ARRC has partnered with school districts to 12% (4,520 acres) for railroad operations /rail yards offer a vocational program to train high school students 50% (17,970 acres) for long-term lease or permit use to serve as hosts onboard summer passenger trains. RAILROAD CONTRIBUTIONS The Alaska Railroad also supports the military community: • In-kind rail travel donations to the Armed Services Transportation Link YMCA “Y on Rail” program. Alaska’s transportation infrastructure is sparse with 640 • In-kind donations to support military morale activities. square miles of land for every mile of paved road. Only 20% • 20% discount for active duty military members, retirees of Alaska’s roads are paved versus 91% average for the other and their dependents. 49 states. Many places in Alaska have no road access and are accessible only by air, ferry or rail. Environmental Stewardship Based on 505,994 rail passengers in 2017 and industry Green Star: ARRC is 25-year member of Green Star, a average of 36 passengers per motorcoach, the Alaska Rail- pro-business, pro-environment program recognizing organi- road keeps more than 14,000 motorcoaches off single-lane zations that meet specific standards for waste reduction, highways annually, decreasing safety and road maintenance pollution prevention, recycling and energy conservation. In issues. Rail offers low-impact public transportation to public 2011, Green Star presented ARRC with its inaugural Super Nova award for setting high environmental standards. land treasures such as Denali National Park and the Chugach National Forest, allowing people of all physical abilities safe Recycling: The Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recy- access to wilderness. cling (ALPAR) organization has twice honored ARRC with Denali National Park, 2017: 102,586 (about one in six) ALPAR awards (2006 and 2011) for supporting backhaul of the park’s 642,809 visitors arrived by train. of recyclable materials. ARRC has repeatedly donated gondolas to haul scrap metal out of rural communities Chugach Forest, 2017: 44,133 people rode the Glacier along the Yukon River, and transported truck trailers that Discovery train into forest areas; and 13,158 experienced backhaul materials for recycle in the Lower 48. the forest’s Whistle Stops south of Portage. Freight Impacts: Rail transport of freight mitigates highway ARRC subsidizes essential public transportation services congestion and safety issues, reduces roadway wear and to roadless areas where thousands of people live and recre- lowers emissions. On average, a single freight train can ate. This includes the year-round Hurricane Turn flagstop ser- carry the load of 280+ trucks. ARRC’s 2017 freight activity vice and the Anchorage-Fairbanks winter (October through carried the equivalent of more than 361,200 trucks: April) Aurora train service. • ARRC transported 42,860 hopper and tanker railcars Community Involvement (carrying gravel, coal and petroleum), from mines or facilities to various distribution points. This equates to The railroad operates through 13 municipalities and bor- approximately 316,000 trucks traveling 21.7 million oughs. ARRC is a member of the state and local chambers highway miles. of commerce along the railbelt, and a supporter/sponsor of dozens of civic organizations that promote economic • ARRC carried 22,606 cargo-filled trailers and containers growth and commerce, ranging from tourism to mining. on trains moving from Anchorage, Seward and Whittier ports to distribution points all along the railroad. This ARRC enhances the quality of life for Alaskans around the equals 45,212 truck movements. state with annual in-kind donations of rail transportation services valued at just over $1 million. Each year, ARRC Fuel Efficiency:According to the American Association of supports about 400 charitable and civic non-profits with Railroads, a freight train moves a ton of freight an average rail tickets, posters/prints, used ties, chartered use of the of 484 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Thanks to locomo- historic Denali railcar, and other in-kind donations. tive and technology improvements, railroad fuel efficiency is up 106% since 1980. According to a recent study com- ARRC places a priority on programs benefitting youth and missioned by the Federal Railroad Administration, railroads enhancing education: on average are four times more fuel-efficient than trucks. • ARRC offers substantial discounts for school groups traveling by train during the school year.