Alaska Railroad work train derails at Curry Loop

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

Early Friday morning, an Alaska Railroad work train derailed on the Curry Loop track, just over 20 miles north of Talkeetna.

According to Alaska Railroad External Affairs Director Meghan Clemens, the derailment damaged a 2600-gallon diesel fuel tank, spilling an unknown amount of fuel in the area.

Clemens said the crew utilized absorbent mats to clean up and prevent further fuel from contaminating the environment soon after the derailment. She added that two other crews quickly joined on-site to assist.

Clemens said the present efforts are focused on understanding how much of the surrounding area was contaminated and fixing any contamination on-site.

While there is currently no confirmed timeline for how long clean-up efforts will take, Clemens said the derailment won’t impact operations on Alaska Railroad’s main line.

Three Alaska Railroad employees operated the train at the time, none sustained injuries. The cause of the derailment is currently unknown.