By James MacPherson
Journal Reporter

When it comes to straightening track on the Alaska Railroad, construction is the easy part. Obtaining money and swapping land for right of way has been more difficult.

While Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has been a friend financially in obtaining funds for railroad operations, he now has introduced legislation to amend the Alaska Railroad Act of 1982 to make less onerous land exchanges that have put kinks in process of rail straightening.

Stevens on March 5 introduced an Alaska-specific provision in the National Defense Interstate Rail Act to smooth out future land exchanges.

"Currently, the Alaska Railroad cannot swap land with adjacent landowners in order to straighten the rail line," Stevens said in a statement. "This will remedy many existing safety concerns and allow for the safer and more efficient movement of passengers, cargo, military equipment and hazardous materials."

While planning its $78 million line improvement and track straightening project under way between Anchorage and Wasilla, the railroad had to trade land with the state, municipalities, the military, Native corporations and private land owners to obtain right of way.

Federal legislation had to be approved for the land swaps, said Patrick Flynn, Alaska Railroad Corp. spokesman.

Each one of the trades involved federal legislation.

"It took a tremendous amount of work to get it done," Flynn said. "It was extremely cumbersome."

Under current law, railroad right of way is reverted back to the federal government after 18 years if it is not used and redistributed to adjacent land owners.

The federal government transferred the line to the state in 1985.

"If we swap out right of way for adjacent land without changing federal law, the land we trade away could be subject to that reversionary clause," Flynn said.

Flynn said the railroad has no firm plans for track straightening beyond the work being done now on the stretch between Anchorage and Wasilla.