White Pass & Yukon Railroad again sets record

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad carried 6,251 passengers on June 16, breaking last year's daily record of 5,384. It was the second time this year the 2003 record had been broken.

The new record reflects a rebound in the tourism industry, said Gary Danielson, the company's president. The company invested in eight new passenger coaches this year, and it is currently restoring a 1907 steam locomotive, scheduled to return to charter service in 2005.

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad carries passengers on the 110-mile narrow gauge railway between the Skagway and Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory.

The railway was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, and it is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark - a designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a subsidiary of Toronto-based Tri-White Corp. carried nearly 350,000 passengers in 2003. - Alaska Journal of Commerce, courtesy Larry W. Grant

The WP&YR carries passengers on excursion trains as far as Bennett Station MP 40. The track as far a Carcross MP 67 is upgraded for full service, however only used for work trains at this time. The rest of the track from Carcross to Whitehorse is not maintained and in need of significant repair in places.

Service to Carcross is getting closer! GE 95 is there now with a
crew, sorting out 4 tank cars and several Anvil flats to take to Skagway.
The tank cars are to be made into water tanks to be placed between Bennett and Carcross for the steamer. Here's some pictures:

http://www.yukonalaska.com/wpyr-carcross-0626-800.jpg
http://www.yukonalaska.com/wpyr-carcross-0628-800.jpg
and breaking up the process to let an ambulance through -
http://www.yukonalaska.com/wpyr-carcross-0630-800.jpg

Mike:

Are there hopes of refurbishing the entire line to Whitehorse at some point in the future? I know that the primary tourist business is tied to cruise liners which create a time crunch (shore trips need to be short to coincide with departure schedules) that may not justify a longer train trip.

If the entire line were open, would there be any chance of freight revenue being generated to assist with the $$$ between cruise ships?

Thanks in advance.

Scott

[quote="Scott"]

>Are there hopes of refurbishing the entire line to Whitehorse at some >point in the future?

Yes, if projected revenue can support it

>I know that the primary tourist business is tied to cruise liners which >create a time crunch (shore trips need to be short to coincide with >departure schedules) that may not justify a longer train trip.

Rail trips between Whitehorse and Skagway would appeal to a different segment of the tourist market. If the cruise ship market continues steadily, then it might provide the economic foundation for other ventures.

>If the entire line were open, would there be any chance of freight >revenue being generated to assist with the $$$ between cruise ships?
>Thanks in advance.
>Scott[/quote]

That is certainly possible, especially if rising fuel prices emphasize the differences in $ per ton mile between sea-railroad and overland truck for supplying the Yukon.

Mike