A landslide cut rail service to Denali after record Talkeetna rain

A landslide knocked out rail service to Denali National Park in late July, burying the Alaska Railroad tracks north of Talkeetna and forcing the railroad to cancel trains on the segment until crews could dig out, according to the Alaska Climate Summary for July, published this week.

The rain behind it broke records. Talkeetna logged 10.59 inches in July, its wettest since 1922, with measurable rain on 12 straight days. Two storms crossing the lower Susitna Valley over three days late in the month drove the slide, and the Talkeetna River crested just above flood stage, its highest since 2012.

The summary doesn't say how long the tracks stayed closed, and it carries no account from passengers, railroad officials, or residents.

The corridor was already under emergency. Before the slide, the Mat-Su Borough had declared a local emergency over Susitna River erosion and flooding at Talkeetna, and a state disaster declaration followed on July 25. Farther north, the state has moved to sell the Alaska Railroad about six acres near Healy so it can shift the mainline away from another eroding riverbank, this one on the Nenana. Comments on that sale are due Aug. 14.