The current location of the Wasilla Alaska Railroad stop opened on January 4, 2004. The station was originally at grade-crossing of Knik Goose Bay Road, just across the grade-crossing and the parallel to the tracks (across from the former station building) on the edge of a gravel parking lot just off of the very busy parks highway.
In a two-part move, with first the Historic depot building moved in 2020, and railroad stop finally moving effective January 4, 2024, the Wasilla train station was moved to a new location at 1105 East Depot Road. The reason for this move was to not have trains block the extremely busy grade-crossing of Knik Goose Bay Road for 5 to 10 minutes causing traffic snare ups (up to 60 to 80 cars).
The new station is like the old one. A gravel parking lot with chains trying to keep waiting passengers away from the train tracks – signs say to stay 20 feet away from the tracks – and no proper concrete platform. In the distance across from the parking lot (along Railroad Avenue) is the historic Wasilla Depot that was built in 1917 at the same time as the building of the Alaska Railroad. This depot is a green building with white trim and a very tall gabled roof. A sign on the roof is the closest thing to a station sign saying “Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce.”
Photos 1-7: May 25, 2024;
