White Pass & Yukon Route impacted by rockslide

[AKStafford]

https://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/2024/07/23/skagway-cruise-passengers-headed-to-haines-after-being-trapped-in-canada-by-a-landslide

 

The details are still being worked out, but cruise line officials say about 150 passengers from the Holland America Koningsdam and a Princess cruise ship are en route to Haines to rejoin their tours after being trapped in Canada. 

The passengers were riding on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway when a massive rockslide overtook the tracks and then the roadway between markers 80 to 86 of the Klondike Highway, effectively cutting them off from returning to Skagway on Tuesday afternoon.

A 50-mile stretch of the South Klondike Highway from Fraser to Carcross has since been closed according to Yukon Protective Services. Both the U.S. border station and Canadian customs closed the Skagway Port of Entry after the slide, according to a Nixle alert sent out at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The passengers were transferred to buses and –  in an unusual solution to the problem – began the several hundred mile drive to Haines. 

“It’s pretty unprecedented,” said Cruise Lines Agencies of Alaska port manager Leslie Ross. 

Ross said the cruise ships are headed to Haines to retrieve their passengers from the borough’s dock. 

She was working to coordinate with Canadian and U.S. border officials to keep the borders open around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, then said she was headed to bed to catch a few hours of sleep before the crowd arrives in town. 

[wolfie11]

As of this morning the road from Skagway is closed past the Suspension Bridge.  “Massive” landslide does not bode well for getting it cleared quickly.

Edited July 24 by wolfie11

[SomewhereGirl]

If the passengers couldn't take a bus down to Skagway, how did the buses get to where they picked up the passengers so promptly to take them to Haines?

Edited July 24 by SomewhereGirl

[1025cruise]

The busses were probably already on the other side of the rockslide.

[texswamper]

We are on the Discovery and 20 of our passengers were on an independent tour caught up in this but HAL allowed them to join the group stranded from their ship. We are to get them back in Ketchikan tomorrow morning. We just missed the landslide by 2 hours after spending the day doing the train and the Yukon stop at Carcross with a local guide. Definitely learned a few things from their experience. The rain yesterday was unprecedented in Skagway and along the route to Fraser. 

[Northern Aurora]

3 hours ago, SomewhereGirl said:

If the passengers couldn't take a bus down to Skagway, how did the buses get to where they picked up the passengers so promptly to take them to Haines?

 

I suspect than busses from Whitehorse drove down to pick them up.  For there they re-traced the drive to Whitehorse and drove on the Alcan Hwy. to the Haines cutoff.  From there they drove to Haines.

[sblair]

We are on Ovation and doing Skagway on this coming Tues.  Had the "White Pass Railway and Skayway Highlights" (4hrs) excursion booked through RCI.   

 

Those that know the area better, anyone have any idea if this is impacted by the slide?  It's half Railway and half bus.  What I recall is that it only just goes just across the border to the summit and turns around which I believe is before we would hit the impacted area.... but even still depending on equipment locations for bus and train I'm concerned it could still be impacted.

 

This was definitely going to be the highlight of the trip, so any info/insights would be appreciated!

[Langoustine]

Cancel. You aren't going on this excursion.

[sblair]

1 hour ago, Langoustine said:

Cancel. You aren't going on this excursion.

Can you elaborate a bit on that comment?

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, sblair said:

We are on Ovation and doing Skagway on this coming Tues.  Had the "White Pass Railway and Skayway Highlights" (4hrs) excursion booked through RCI.   

 

Those that know the area better, anyone have any idea if this is impacted by the slide?  It's half Railway and half bus.  What I recall is that it only just goes just across the border to the summit and turns around which I believe is before we would hit the impacted area.... but even still depending on equipment locations for bus and train I'm concerned it could still be impacted.

 

This was definitely going to be the highlight of the trip, so any info/insights would be appreciated!

The turn around is between Skagway and the slide. The train portion of that should be good to go. I’m not sure what the Skagway Highlights part involves.

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, Langoustine said:

Cancel. You aren't going on this excursion.

Why?

[wolfie11]

Anything going to Carcross will be cancelled or shortened.  Suspension bridge is accessible.  Summit trains and train to Fraser and vans back to Skagway will operate.  The slide is expected to be cleared for one lane traffic by Friday.  

[wolfie11]

[wolfie11]

Slide location 

[zqvol]

6 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

Slide location 

Thanks for the map. As you know the short train turns around at the loop about where the minus sign is shown. 

[wolfie11]

47 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Thanks for the map. As you know the short train turns around at the loop about where the minus sign is shown. 

The Summit train loops around at the US-Canadian border which is in the lower far left where the red line stops.  Canadian customs and the train stop is at Fraser, which is about 10km from there.  The slide is about 20km south of Carcross.  None of the shorter train trips should be affected.  

Edited July 25 by wolfie11

[sblair]

@wolfie11 thanks for the info!   If you are doing the half train half bus ~4 hour excursion where does that change at?   Is it at the Summit or at Fraser?   

 

Do you know if there would be any concerns about equipment (trains or bus) being stuck on the wrong side of the slide that might cause cancellations too?

[wolfie11]

8 minutes ago, sblair said:

@wolfie11 thanks for the info!   If you are doing the half train half bus ~4 hour excursion where does that change at?   Is it at the Summit or at Fraser?   

 

Do you know if there would be any concerns about equipment (trains or bus) being stuck on the wrong side of the slide that might cause cancellations too?

I think that one is the train to Fraser and bus/van back to Skagway and should be fine.

Anything that was on the other side of the slide drove around the long way so no concerns there.

https://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/2024/07/23/skagway-cruise-passengers-stranded-in-canada-by-a-rockslide-rejoin-their-ships-in-haines/

 

[EDVM96]

5 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

Canadian customs and the train stop is at Fraser, which is about 10km from there.  The slide is about 20km south of Carcross.  None of the shorter train trips should be affected.  

The problem is that at least 1 train is stranded north of the slide, so it can't be used until the tracks are clear again.

Edited July 25 by EDVM96

[azbirdmom]

12 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

That is going to take a while to clear.  Feel bad for the folks in Skagway.  Hope they can get provisions by sea, I know some come from Canada.

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

That is going to take a while to clear.  Feel bad for the folks in Skagway.  Hope they can get provisions by sea, I know some come from Canada.

Expected to be open this weekend.

[57eric]

On my map the train tracks are nowhere near the slide area.

[Brentm77]

The local news is saying the railway tour should be up and running today. "A representative for White Pass and Yukon Route said their railroad tour wasn’t running on Wednesday, but expected to resume normal operations on Thursday."

 

https://khns.org/yukon-slide-blocks-skagway-visitors

[dfilpus]

2 hours ago, 57eric said:

On my map the train tracks are nowhere near the slide area.

There were multiple landslides. One blocked the highway. Another blocked the train.

[57eric]

1 hour ago, dfilpus said:

There were multiple landslides. One blocked the highway. Another blocked the train.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but can you cite a source?  Certainly the article cited by the OP is incorrect.  The railway's web site has no indication of any disruption.