For the second year in a row, elected officials in Alaska have introduced legislation that would require the state-owned railroad to be privatized. On February 26, Republican Rep. Kevin McCabe introduced House Bill 120 that, if enacted, would request proposals from companies to purchase the Alaska Railroad and its assets. Similar legislation was introduced in 2024 but never passed. 

The purchaser would have to promise to operate the railroad for at least 50 years, the Alaska Beacon reports. The railroad was built by the federal government in the early 20th century and then transferred to the state in the 1980s. Some in the state have said the railroad could be more efficiently operated by a private operator. The railroad itself, however, has been opposed to efforts to sell it. —Railfan & Railroad Staff