July 23, 2007
SKAGWAY, AK – The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad announced today, July 23rd, that it will be curtailing its operations between Bennett, British Columbia and Carcross, Yukon effective Friday, July 27th or before, if conditions warrant, due to the unprecedented high water levels in the Southern Lakes District of Yukon.
Gary C. Danielson, President of the White Pass & Yukon Route said that the risk of high water levels compounded by wind loads was threatening its railroad bridge in Carcross.
Passengers already holding reservations on the service will be transported by motorcoach to and from Carcross, and arrangements are being made to take those passengers in and out of Bennett by rail from either Fraser or Log Cabin, British Columbia.
Danielson also said that after the waters recede, the White Pass & Yukon Route would bring in an engineer to inspect the bridge prior to resumption of service.
The White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railway was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush and is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark – a designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The WP&YR is Alaska’s most popular shore excursion and North America’s busiest tourist railroad, carrying more than 431,000 passengers in 2006.
White Pass & Yukon Route is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tri-White Corporation based in Toronto, Ontario. The Tri-White Corporation is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange as TWH.
Contact:
Gary C. Danielson
President
Phone: (907) 983-2214
Fax: (907) 983-2017
gary@whitepass.net