Nenana floods Alaska Railroad; service interrupted

The Interior continues to be pounded by rain. The Tanana in Fairbanks crested at record high levels and the Alaska Railroad says they are busing passenger between Denali Park to Fairbanks to avoid flooded railroad tracks.

Flooding north of the Alaska Range continued yesterday. Flood waters in Nenana rose overnight, submerging the Alaska Railroad’s mainline track under six inches of water. All freight and passenger train operations have been stopped between Nenana and Fairbanks.

The flooding has forced Railroad officials to use bus service north of Denali Park. Passenger use of trains between Fairbanks and Denali are on hold until further notice. The southbound train will originate in Denali Park and continue to Anchorage as regularly scheduled. Passengers from Fairbanks to Denali will use bus transit until further notice. Passengers heading from Anchorage to Fairbanks will stop in Denali Park and board buses bound for Fairbanks. This service should not affect passenger traffic through Talkeetna.

Flood watches and warnings continue to stay in effect for Denali Park, Fairbanks and Salcha. Two to 5 inches of rain has fallen across the Tanana Valley and the Salcha region since Monday. An additional one to 2 inches is expected. Parts of the Old Richardson Highway remain impassable. In Fairbanks, several properties along the Chena River are flooded as well as the Rosie Creek subdivision. The Tanana River crested Wednesday night in Fairbanks at a historic high level. That river is expected to fall below flood stage today at some point. Rain is expected to continue intermittently through the weekend for Denali Park as well as across the interior.

If Alaska rail passengers are interested in more information on train schedules, they can call 1-800-544-0552.