Passenger Services The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) offers year-round ship arrivals. Other 2018 and 2019 special event passenger rail transportation with adventure class trains include the Nordic Ski Train chartered to and premium GoldStar service. Summer service is the Nordic Ski Association, ARRC Holiday Train, mid-May to mid-September; Winter service is mid- Fur Rondy Express Train, Easter Train, Fair Train, September to mid-May. Blues Train, Seward Music & Arts Festival Train, Kids Halloween Train, Great Alaska Beer Train, Passenger Trains and the Hoo Doo Beer Train and Family Fun Train • Coastal Classic — Daily summer service between originating in Fairbanks). Anchorage and Seward Passenger Numbers • Glacier Discovery — Daily summer service be- 2018 total ridership was 531,611 passengers. tween Anchorage, Whittier and Chugach Forest whistle stops at Spencer Glacier and Grandview • Customers traveling aboard cruise company- owned railcars pulled by ARRC accounted for • Denali Star — Daily summer service between about 48% (256,199) of 2018 passengers. Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali and Fairbanks • The remaining 52% (275,412) used scheduled • Hurricane Turn — Flagstop service to remote service aboard Alaska Railroad trains. Of those: roadless areas offered monthly (first Thursday) in — 67,569 rode the Coastal Classic winter between Anchorage and Hurricane; and — 64,811 rode the Denali Star offered Thursday-Monday in summer between Talkeetna and Hurricane — 63,964 rode the Grandview Cruise Train — 45,790 rode the Glacier Discovery • Aurora — Winter weekend and some mid-week service between Anchorage and Fairbanks — 11,772 rode the Aurora Winter Train — 9,655 rode the Hurricane Turn • Special Events/Charters — The Grandview — 11,781 rode aboard special event and other Cruise Train is a chartered summer service for charter trains. cruise company passengers traveling from Whit- tier or Seward to Anchorage; timed with cruise April 18 The Coastal Classic train moves along Turnagain Arm. Hurricane Turn flag stop service offers remote access. 2019 The railroad partners with travel businesses to offer • Business Cars — The restored Denali Car and the Aurora transportation, along with unique and exciting travel experi- Car offer unique meeting space. Fleet: 2 cars ences that include lodging, day cruises, adventure activities, • Diners — Dining and cafe cars with various seating/dining sightseeing and more. configurations. Fleet: 6 cars Customer Service • Passenger Coaches — Coaches feature large windows, hand carry storage, and reclining seats facing with a card ARRC capitalizes on homegrown talent and a reputa- table in between. Six built in 1989. Five built in 1950 were tion for hospitality born of Alaska’s frontier spirit. Each year, subsequently updated. Fleet: 11 cars customer comments underscore the importance of en- hanced customer service as a prime tool for attracting new • Vista Dome Coaches — Coaches feature 36-38 reclin- customers and persuading previous passengers to return. ing seats, plus 24 seats under a dome in the middle that A cornerstone to customer service is the long-standing offers 360-degree views. Built in mid-1950s and subse- Tour Guide Program. In 1981, the Alaska Railroad entered quently updated. Fleet: 6 cars into agreements with Anchorage and Fairbanks school • Low-Level Dome Coaches — Coaches feature large dome districts to adopt a vocational curriculum to prepare high glass windows, and seat (68-76) arranged around four- school students for jobs and careers in the travel industry. top tables, small galley and service bar. Four built in the At the end of the school year, the Alaska Railroad hires the 1950s and subsequently updated. Three built in 2006- cream-of-the-crop to serve onboard summer passenger 2007. Fleet: 7 cars trains as interactive guides. These Alaskan ambassadors • Bi-Level Ultradomes — Double-deck first-class dome cars delight railroad customers with interesting narrative, per- feature glass-domed upstairs including an outdoor view- sonalized attention and a youthful, infectious excitement to ing platform and 72 reclining seats. Downstairs includes experience rail transportation through Alaska. a full-service kitchen and dining area with 36 seats at Future passenger opportunities may stem from addi- tables. Built in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Fleet: 6 cars tional transportation services. Over the past decade, ARRC has continued to invest in rail research and infrastructure • Bi-Level DMU — The Chugach Explorer self-propelled that make additional rail service more feasible. This includes railcar is suited for whistle stop and commuter services, new depots at the Anchorage international airport and with 112 seats, kitchen and baggage area. Built in 2009. Palmer fairgrounds, an upgraded intermodal transportation Fleet: 1 car facility in Ship Creek, and straighter (faster) track between • Baggage Cars — Cars store luggage and include genera- Anchorage and Wasilla. tors to supply electrical power to coaches. Built in 1961-62 and subsequently rebuilt. Fleet: 6 cars Passenger Equipment ARRC’s passenger service fleet includes 45 railcars (ex- cluding locomotives). All are maintained in a state of good Ridership aboard the Aurora Winter Train (below) doubled repair with the experience and safety of passengers in mind: between 2013 and 2018. (photo by David Blazejewski) Alaska Railroad Passenger Services • Page 2.