Editing Alaska (section)

===Rail===

Built around 1915, the [[Alaska Railroad]] (ARR) played a key role in the development of Alaska through the 20th century. It links shipping lanes on the North Pacific with [[Interior Alaska]] with tracks that run from [[Seward, Alaska|Seward]] by way of [[South Central Alaska]], passing through [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]], [[Eklutna]], [[Wasilla, Alaska|Wasilla]], [[Talkeetna, Alaska|Talkeetna]], [[Denali]], and [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]], with spurs to [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]], [[Palmer, Alaska|Palmer]] and [[North Pole, Alaska|North Pole]]. The cities, towns, villages, and region served by ARR tracks are known statewide as "The Railbelt". In recent years, the ever-improving paved highway system began to eclipse the railroad's importance in Alaska's economy.

The railroad played a vital role in Alaska's development, moving freight into Alaska while transporting natural resources southward, such as coal from the Usibelli coal mine near [[Healy, Alaska|Healy]] to Seward and gravel from the [[Matanuska Valley]] to Anchorage. It is well known for its summertime tour passenger service.

The Alaska Railroad was one of the last railroads in North America to use [[caboose]]s in regular service and still uses them on some gravel trains. It continues to offer one of the last [[Request stop|flag stop]] routes in the country. A stretch of about {{convert|60|mi|km|-1}} of track along an area north of Talkeetna remains inaccessible by road; the railroad provides the only transportation to rural homes and cabins in the area. Until construction of the Parks Highway in the 1970s, the railroad provided the only land access to most of the region along its entire route.

In northern Southeast Alaska, the [[White Pass and Yukon Route]] also partly runs through the state from [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]] northwards into Canada ([[British Columbia]] and [[Yukon Territory]]), crossing the border at [[White Pass]] Summit. This line is now mainly used by tourists, often arriving by cruise liner at Skagway. It was featured in the 1983 [[BBC]] television series ''[[Great Little Railways]].''

These two railroads are connected neither to each other nor any other railroad. The nearest link to the North American railway network is the northwest terminus of the [[Canadian National Railway]] at [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], several hundred miles to the southeast. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized $6&nbsp;million to study the feasibility of a rail link between Alaska, Canada, and the [[lower 48]].<ref name="RailLink1">{{cite web|url=http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |title=Alaska Oil / BC Tar sands via rail |first=Barbara |last=Yaffe |date=January 2, 2011 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219014658/http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |archive-date=December 19, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="RailLink2">{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2138860820070622 | title=Economic study touts Alaska-Canada rail link | first=Allan |last=Dowd | date=June 27, 2007 | access-date=January 2, 2011 | work=Reuters | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713120019/https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-alaska-railway-dc/economic-study-touts-alaska-canada-rail-link-idUSN2138860820070621 | archive-date=July 13, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RailLink3">{{cite web|url=http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |title=Alaska Canada Rail Link |website=AlaskaCanadaRail.org |date=January 2, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425025223/http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |archive-date=April 25, 2011 }}</ref> As of 2021, the [[Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation]] had been placed into receivership.

Some private companies provides [[car float]] service between [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]] and [[Seattle]].

<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Alaska Railroad, Girdwood, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-31, DD 40.jpg|An [[Alaska Railroad]] locomotive over a bridge in Girdwood approaching Anchorage (2007)
File:Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, In to the Tunnel.jpg|The [[White Pass and Yukon Route]] traverses rugged terrain north of [[Skagway]] near the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]].
</gallery>