Alaska Railroad Moves Wasilla Passenger Stop
Excited railroad supporters cut a ribbon to celebrate the first use of the new Wasilla rail passenger stop.
Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
On January 4, Alaska Railroad debuted its new Wasilla rail passenger stop, located at 1105 East Railroad Avenue in Wasilla. Among other benefits, the new location curtails long waits by drivers at the Knik-Goose Bay Road/Alaska Railroad crossing while railroad passengers board trains.
Pairing with the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
Previously located at 415 East Railroad Avenue, the move is less than three-quarters of a mile away, but the distance is meaningful. Located at the intersection of Knik-Goose Bay Road and the Parks Highway, stopped trains blocked traffic on Knik-Goose Bay Road and drivers turning from the Parks Highway onto Knik-Goose Bay Road.
“The stop moving to the new location is a step forward for Wasilla. One of the largest complaints in the summer is how often the train would stop across Knik, blocking traffic in all directions,” says Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce CEO Jessica Viera.
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Alaska Railroad Corporation External Affairs Director Meghan Clemens says during the summer, Wasilla is served twice daily by the Denali Star Train, with a northbound train in the morning and a southbound train in the evening. The Wasilla stop is used less frequently during the rest of the year; the Aurora Winter Train schedule includes stops in Wasilla on Saturday and Sunday. The round-trip Hurricane Turn Train, which operates between Anchorage and Hurricane Gulch north of Talkeetna from October to May, adds two stops a day on the first Thursday of each month.
Taken in October, the new Wasilla rail passenger stop rejoins the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center offices, housed at the historic Wasilla Depot.
Alaska Railroad Corporation
Clemens says the road was typically blocked for no more than five minutes, but larger groups getting on or off the train would occasionally require additional time.
New Rail Stop Renews Warm Wasilla Welcome
The location change reunites the rail stop with the historic Wasilla Depot, which moved from the Parks Highway/Knik-Goose Bay Road intersection in 2020. The depot building was built by the Alaska Engineering Commission in 1917. Along with the original Wasilla school, now located at the Historic Town Site on Main Street, it was one of the first buildings in Wasilla. Both were built as part of a larger effort to complete a main line of the Alaska Railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. Owned by the City of Wasilla, the depot has housed the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and a Visitor Information Center for several years.
The previous Wasilla rail passenger loading area was near the intersection of the Knik-Goose Bay Road and Parks Highway.
Alaska Railroad Corporation
A sign designates the new Wasilla rail passenger stop loading area.
Alaska Railroad Corporation
“We welcome train visitors to utilize the Visitor Center while waiting for the train during our open hours,” Viera says. “We enjoy meeting with the train passengers who are waiting for the train, hearing their stories, where they are from, and why they are visiting Alaska. In return, we tell them all about Wasilla and the Mat-Su and encourage them to come spend time exploring all that the Valley has to offer.”
When the depot was moved to its new location east of the Knik-Goose Bay Road and Parks Highway intersection in 2020, passengers no longer had a place to gather while waiting for a train. Chamber staff are happy to greet railroad passengers again.
Enthusiasts wait to welcome the first Alaska Railroad train to stop at the new Wasilla passenger stop on January 4.
Forrest Musselman
“With multiple trains a day stopping, we are thrilled the stop is back with the Depot’s location and are excited to welcome visitors again this summer as well as help keep traffic flowing through Wasilla,” Viera says.
The Wasilla Chamber of Commerce has limited operating hours in winter; it is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed on weekends and on the first and third Tuesdays for chamber luncheons. In summer the Chamber is open seven days a week, thanks to a grant from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Viera says.
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