The Series
Railroad Alaska follows an elite crew of workers - brakemen, engineers and drivers - as they battle ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the State of Alaska’s critical, 650-mile long, railroad rolling through the extreme winter.
The Alaska Railroad is America’s last remaining full service freight and passenger railroad – remote off grid homesteaders and vacationers travel on the same tracks as military hardware, medicine, coal, food and chemicals. It’s a vital artery shuttling both cargo and people through a vast wilderness.
Homesteaders living miles from roads or towns and surrounded by wild animals - from bears to moose and wolves - can flag the passenger train down in the middle of the woods. If it doesn’t get through they can be stranded without supplies.
Crews face a constant threat of deadly avalanches, blizzards, freezing temperatures and dangerous wildlife to keep this crucial lifeline running. Giant icicles, frozen switch points and broken rails must be taken care of to keep the line running.