Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Client: Alaska Railroad Corporation
Market Sectors: Commercial
The Alaska Railroad Corporation’s new operations and training facility consists of a three story, steel frame structure located in an existing industrial zone sandwiched between Whitney Road and the existing railroad yard.
The completed facility serves as the operational heart of the Alaska Railroad directing operations from Seward to Fairbanks. The Railroad’s high-tech train Dispatch Center is located in this facility as well as both the Emergency Control and Commander Centers. The facility integrates a ‘yard tower’ from which the entire Anchorage rail yard can be seen and the assembly and disassembly of trains is directed. The Center houses ARRC training facilities including a locomotive simulator, mechanical lab, classroom, and computerized testing facilities.
Architects Alaska used brick and cast stone to create a building character that reflects America’s rich railroad heritage as well as the nearby Alaska Railroad Headquarters building. The arched form chosen for the main entry is a reflection of many urban rail facilities constructed throughout America in the first half of the twentieth century.
