Fairbanks is the northern passenger rail terminus of the Alaska Railroad, and the most northern railroad station in North America, located just 140 air miles (200 road miles) from the Artic Circle. It should be mentioned that the Alaska Railroad is not connected by rails with the rest of the North American Railroad network. There are just rail equipped barges that run between the Port of Whittier and Seattle. The most northern point on the continuous North American Rail network is Hay River, Northwest Territories whose latitude is just south of Anchorage’s. Fairbanks isn’t the exact end of the line for freight trains. The Alaska Railroad continues beyond the station primarily looping south of the station for freight only customers with various sidings in Fairbanks with the mainline continuing approximately 25 miles through the towns of North Pole and Moose Creek to the Eielson Air Force Base.
The current modern $22.5 million Fairbanks Depot opened in 2005 with the first trains using the depot on May 19, 2006. The current station is a suburban station located just off the Johansen Expressway with no sidewalk access. It is located on the edge of Fairbanks main freight yard. It was funded entirely by Federal Transit and Railroad Administration Dollars (thank you “Uncle Ted”) and replaced a previous depot located along a different rail spur at 335 Driveway St, that was just across the Chena River from downtown, and very much within walking distance. The old depot building still exists (I didn’t visit it) and is now the Spruce Tree Montessori School.
The new modern station provides a number of operations advantages to the Alaska Railroad including trains no longer blocking Phillips Field Road when they stop in the station and easier access to train yards for turning trains around and serving them. It also has plenty of free parking (including some parking spots with electrical outlets for engine block heaters for Fairbanks’ extremely harsh, -20 below winters).
Passengers reach the station via the intersection of Danby Street and the Johansen Express. The Johansen Express does have a multi-use pedestrian bike and pedestrian path, with crosswalks at this major intersection so trying to walk to this railroad station wouldn’t be completely insane like some other park and ride-style stations. Here a new access road (called Alaska Railroad Depot Street) was built. It passes through a gate before splitting into two with a line of extra-large parking spaces for tour buses along one edge of the rail yard and the main access road continuing through a forested area.
This main access road is about a third-of-a-mile long before finally ending at a drop off area in front of the depot and an approximately 75 space free parking lot across the depot from this vehicle pick-up and drop-off area. The main entrance area has a sidewalk leading across to the parking lot, this sidewalk continues, across the exit access road beyond the parking lot to a crosswalk and a little pedestrian stop sign in the middle of some overgrown bushes. This makes me think that the station is supposed to connect to a pedestrian trail for easier access that was never built.
The depot itself is a modern single-story architect designed building. It has sloped roofs and lots of windows for natural light. There is a small clock tower with a clock on it directly next to the main station entrance. The siding of the depot is painted red. Double doors lead the station’s loading and unloading roadway (with a large canopied area outdoors for people waiting for rides) to an airy waiting room with a tall gabled roof ceiling with timbered accents. Directly ahead are doors out to the train platform, and a small gift shop that extends into the main waiting room area. To the east are sanctions for lines to the ticket office. The Alaska Railroad operates on a boarding pass system where all passengers, even those who purchased a ticket online or in advance, must stand in line and show their ID to a ticket agent to be issued physical tickets (with seat assignments assigned by the railroad, no way to request a specific seat, 48 hours ahead of travel). Baggage can be checked at this same ticket counter. Beyond the check in line is the station’s baggage claim with a silver opening for baggage to be dumped on.
Simple modern wooden benches (without armrests making them not hostile architecture!) line the area around the station entrance doors and a small area across from the ticket office. This area closest to the parking lot is lined with Alaska Railroad posters and other memorabilia giving the modern station a good sense of place. Along the western wall of the station is the Tanana Valley Model Railroad. This is an all-volunteer organization of railroad modelers that run trains and chat with members of the public for an hour before all Summer Denali Star trains depart. They also have weekly work sessions year-round.
To reach trains, passengers are encouraged to stay inside the depot, with a low chain fencing off the station’s single ground-level platform (that lacks a tactile warning strip). The area beyond the platform (and chain) is covered by a taller canopy structure (that is an extension of the station’s roof) with additional modern canopy structures extending on each side of the depot that almost look like they are completely attached porches to the building. Passengers board trains via sets of silver portable steps that are rolled up to the bottom of the traps of the platform cars. Silver mobile-lifts (like those found at most Amtrak stations) are available for ADA access.
Station signage is minimal. The only clear signage is golden Fairbanks lettering above the two sets of doors into the depot (and above the entrance doors on the opposite site). There is a final entrance sign with two flagpoles and lettering saying Fairbanks Depot, Alaska Railroad Corporation on some decorative wooden fencing along the main driveway visible from vehicles approaching the depot.
Photos 1-65: May 25, 2024
