Alaska Railroad Tour Guides

Effective September 22, 2009, the Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Program has been discontinued.

When you ride the Alaska Railroad, local students will be your onboard tour guides. For 17 years the Alaska Railroad has employed a select group of local talent for its school/business partnership program. These students have completed several months of rigorous training to prepare them for the questions you'll have and the points of interest you'll want to know about.

In addition to class time, we take the students on regular field trips to learn firsthand about the history, geography, vegetation and wildlife that surround the more than 500 miles of track. Service-oriented skills are taught, practiced and eventually mastered.

Here is a visitor's assessment of one of our tour guides: "Your passenger representative did such a wonderful job in making our group feel comfortable. She was quite knowledgeable of the route and make our trip so enjoyable.  She is an asset to your company and certainly gave us a good history of your railroad."

As a state-owned railroad we're proud to employ local students. Our tour guide program provides the railroad with outstanding tour guides.  The school district gains a useful supplement to classroom routine. The program provides students with job training and career opportunities. These competent and personable guides will enhance the railroad experience of all on board.
 
 

The Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Training Program is 1 semester and is open to grade levels 11 and 12.The class is designed to prepare students for the fast-paced, high profile position as a tour guide for the Alaska Railroad. The 10 week course starts the first Monday in February and prospective students must go through an interview process and be selected to attend the training. The course covers all areas needed to be successful in Alaska's tourism industry; public speaking, professionalism, customer service skills, Alaska history, geography, flora, fauna, economy and resources. Emphasis is placed on Alaska Railroad history and the railbelt commentary. The course also includes various field trips around Anchorage and the outlying areas. Students who successfully complete the class are eligible to be interviewed by the Alaska Railroad for the position of Tour Guide for the following summer. The tour guides are responsible for assisting with boarding and disembarking of the train and provide passengers with information about Alaska and the railbelt area as they are traveling on the Alaska Railroad.
 
 

Twenty-four students from the Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Program will graduate tonight at the Anchorage Depot at 6 p.m. The tour guides ride the railroad's summer passenger trains offering commentary over a wide variety of topics.

The program, begun in 1981, provides training for high school juniors and seniors at the King Career Center, and is part of the Anchorage School District's School Business Partnership program. Candidates for the class must be recommended by a teacher or counselor before they begin the 10 weeks of training. Students attend the classes after school and study subjects such as Alaskan flora and fauna, history, politics and economics. Railroad employees and King Career Center tourism instructors teach the class.

"Our passenger surveys consistently reveal that the tour guides are the highlight of many passenger's trip," said Jo DiBernardo. "Many of them bring their personal photo albums to show to passengers. They love looking at the photos of the families and life in Alaska.

DiBernardo added, "Many of our tour guides have gone on to great things. Some even work for the Alaska Railroad. Others work in the tourism industry. And yet others use the experience they gain to further their success in other fields. It's a fantastic experience," she said.