Railroad to inaugurate new Seattle to Whittier barge service in March

Lynden subsidiary Alaska Railbelt Marine operates state-of-the-art barges under 10-year contract with Alaska Railroad

Steve Sutherlin

PNA Managing Editor

Alaska Railbelt Marine LLC, a subsidiary of Lynden Inc., will begin in March hauling rail cars weekly between Seattle and Whittier on barges newly built for ARM by Gunderson Marine. The service is a continuation of a rail-sea cargo service provided by the Alaska Railroad for more than 30 years. The Alaska Railroad will continue to market the railcar service.

The Anchorage Provider, the first of three barges to be used on the route, was launched Sept. 16. The second barge, the Fairbanks Provider, is now on the water and a third, the Whittier Provider is under construction. ARM has leased the barge Isla Bonita from Crowley Maritime Services for six months until the Whittier Provider is completed, said David Byrne, operations manager for Alaska Railbelt Marine.

“The new barges are designed to provide faster, more efficient and more reliable service,” said Jim Jansen, president of Lynden Inc.

The barges are a big step in technology from 30-year-old equipment. The tugs burn less fuel, and the barges run through the water faster, said Steve Silverstein, Alaska Railroad spokesperson.

The 420 foot long by 100 foot wide barges are equipped with rails so that railcars can roll on and roll off. Eight sets of track run the length of the vessel, providing 3200 feet of track on the deck. The number of cars in a load will vary based on car length, typically 40 feet to 90 feet long. Prior to beginning its ARR contract, the Anchorage Provider hauled three 90-car shipments of 80-foot pipe for Phillips Alaska Inc. the pipe was hauled to Fairbanks where it will be insulated, coated and treated before trucking to the North Slope. The extra freight runs were a good opportunity to test the equipment, which worked well, Byrne said.

The railroad has the first option on deck space, but if it doesn’t use the entire deck, Alaska Cargo Transport or Lynden can use the space for shipments. The deck space can carry break-bulk cargo and containers. Lynden also has the option of adding double deck racks to carry its own containers above the rail cars but it has no plans to do so in the near future, Byrne told PNA.

Byrne said the weather is always a challenge on the Gulf of Alaska, but that the new barges add a higher level of safety.

Heavy and dense cargo a specialty

The service has a distinct advantage over container ships for heavy, dense, low value per pound and expensive to handle equipment. It typically hauls chemicals, mud and cements, large heavy equipment and the enormous trucks and loaders used in mining, he said.

The new barge service ends a 35-year arrangement between the railroad and Crowley Maritime Services.

Crowley began barging Alaska Railroad cars in 1963 under the name Hydro-Train.

The railroad decided to pursue new equipment for the Seattle/Whittier link to provide more efficient, lower cost service, said George Erickson, Alaska Railroad vice president of transportation services.

“It’s vitally important for us; it’s our connection to the rail systems in the U.S. and Canada and our interchange point- we never take it for granted,” he said.

The service begins an historic partnership between the Lynden family of companies and the Alaska Railroad, said Johne Binkley, chairman of the Alaska Railroad Corp. “We anticipate great changes and a long term benefit for the railroad and our partners as well as the shipping community in Southcentral Alaska.”

On April 4, the railroad will have an inaugural ceremony and will carry customers, potential customers and dignitaries from Anchorage to Whittier in its new single-level dome cars designed for its cruise ship passenger service to Seward. If the weather is good the party will be able to tour the barge. The barge will be visible from the dome cars if weather prevents boarding.