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Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) track repair crews have continued to work day and night the past several days to repair a major washout that left 500 feet of mainline track dangling south of Gold Creek, about 35 miles north of Talkeetna.

The washed out track segment runs parallel to the Susitna River and is in a remote area accessible only by rail. Crews are operating work trains with air-dump rail cars hauling fill material, as well as bulldozers and loaders to rebuild the track bed from both ends of the site, ARRC officials said in a prepared statement.

The area of focus since Friday has been a 70-mile stretch between Willow and Gold Creek, where the track and several bridges have been affected by high, fast-moving water. Once the Gold Creek area washout is repaired, crews will focus on the less severe water erosion that has occurred all along the line from Seward to Nenana, ARRC officials said.

Freight trains normally scheduled to run between Anchorage and Fairbanks won't be able to operate until damage to the track and bridges is repaired.

"The needs of community stakeholders remain at the forefront of our thoughts as we manage our way through the restoration of rail service along the critical Anchorage-Fairbanks corridor," said ARRC President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Aadnesen.