By Railfan & Railroad Staff

SKAGWAY, Alaska — The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad has let more than two dozen employees go amid uncertainties about the upcoming summer tourist season. Last week, the narrow gauge railroad sent letters to 27 employees informing them that their jobs would be abolished, KTOO News reports. 

The news came after the Canadian government announced that it would prohibit cruise ships in its waters until February 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because U.S. maritime law requires a foreign-flagged to stop in Canada between calling on American ports, it essentially derails the 2021 cruise ship season in Alaska. The decision deals a dramatic blow to communities like Skagway — home base for the WP&Y — that is already reeling from the cancelation of the 2020 season. 

Jackie Schaefer, a coach cleaner, told KTOO News that she was told by the railroad that she could reapply for other jobs in the future but that her old job was no longer available. “I got a phone call that my job was gone,” she said. “I could reapply when jobs opened back up, but I would lose all my seniority and all my insurance and everything.”

Schaefer is not alone. According to KTOO, Skagway lost 82 percent of its hospitality and tourism jobs last year. 

When the railroad canceled its 2020 season it said it was looking forward to reopening in 2021 and encouraged people to buy tickets for this summer. It’s unclear what the status of the 2021 season is at this time. Railfan & Railroad is awaiting additional information.