[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2981-S2982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE ALASKA RAILROAD CORPORATION'S CENTENNIAL

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this past weekend, on July 15, 
2023, Alaskans marked a milestone as we recognized a century of 
operations for the Alaska Railroad Corporation.
  The Railroad, as we call it, along with all of its builders, 
operators, and leaders, has been a critical catalyst for our still-
young State's growth and development. For 100 years now, the Railroad 
has transported passengers between Alaska's largest cities, bolstered 
tourism and commerce across hundreds of miles of terrain, helped build 
some of our State's most critical infrastructure, and supported our 
Nation's wartime efforts.
  It took decades for the Alaska Railroad Corporation to become the 
entity we recognize today. The Alaska Central Railway, later renamed 
the Alaska Railroad, laid its first track in Alaska in 1903. It started 
in Seward and extended 50 miles north. The Alaska Central Railway 
reorganized in 1910 as the Alaska Northern Railway Co., later extending 
the railroad to Kern Creek, 71 miles from Seward.
  In 1914, the U.S. Congress, understanding the intrinsic value in the 
Railroad's expansion, funded the construction and operation of a 
railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. On July 15, 1923, President Warren 
G. Harding drove a golden spike to unite the track at Nenana, marking 
the completion of the Alaska Railroad as we know it today. From 1940 to 
1943, the Railroad was integral to our Nation's efforts in World War 
II, hauling military and civilian supplies across the State.
  In 1962, the Railroad established its first car-barge service in 
Whittier, followed by train-ship service in June 1964, which 
revolutionized the State by enabling rail cars from the lower 48 to be 
shipped to any point along its route. In the early to mid-1970s, the 
Railroad supported construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System by 
shipping and storing pipe and construction materials between Valdez, 
Seward, and Fairbanks, where it was then trucked to the North Slope. In 
1981, the Alaska Railroad entered into agreements with Fairbanks and 
Anchorage school district career centers to create a tour-guide program 
to train high school students to serve as hosts onboard summer 
passenger trains. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the 
authorization of the transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the State of 
Alaska. In 1985, the railroad became the property of the State of 
Alaska, and the Alaska

[[Page S2982]]

Railroad Corporation, or ARRC, was born.
  Today, the Alaska Railroad Corporation operates regularly scheduled 
public transportation service that connects roughly half a million 
Alaskans and visitors to communities from Seward to Fairbanks each 
year. Passengers can access remote regions of our State, including 
areas off the road system. Some of the most popular Alaskan treasures 
that local residents and tourists alike can visit include the Chugach 
National Forest, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Denali National Park 
and Preserve.
  The Railroad is also a vital part of our supply chains, linking the 
Alaskan interior to Seward, Whittier, and the Port of Alaska in 
Anchorage. The Railroad hauled 3.7 million tons of freight last year, 
including natural resources, industrial goods, and more.
  As we reach this 100th anniversary, I join Alaskans in recognizing 
that our Railroad is a lot more than locomotives and rails. Many 
talented men and women have dedicated their lives to its safe operation 
and to carrying passengers and freight across wide expanses, rivers, 
and mountains, showcasing our State and contributing to our economy.
  I join the rest of the Alaska delegation in congratulating the Alaska 
Railroad Corporation on 100 years of operation and look forward to a 
new century of investment, expansion, and service ahead to meet the 
continued needs of our State and Nation.

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