An unidentified 30-year-old woman was struck by a southbound freight train near Bird Point near mile post 96 of the Seward Highway. According to an Alaska Railroad press release, the incident happened just before 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The incident involved two women walking along the tracks with four dogs, near a curve in the tracks. One of the women and one of the dogs were hit and died. The mile-long train had originated from Anchorage and was on its way to Whittier.
As an active rail transportation corridor, the right-of-way – 100 feet on either side of the tracks – is not open to the public. Despite that, Alaska Railroad states that train crews routinely sound the train horn when approaching the curve in the area.
Alaska Railroad Security Police and the Anchorage Police Department arrived on-scene at the time of the incident. ARRC has initiated an investigation and APD will notify next of kin.