I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2347 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a railroad right of 
way between North Pole, Alaska, and Delta Junction, Alaska, to the 
Alaska Railroad Corporation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2011 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a rail-
road right of way between North Pole, Alaska, and Delta 
Junction, Alaska, to the Alaska Railroad Corporation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alaska Railroad Right 
of Way Extension Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Freight trains provide an efficient, reliable, 
all-weather transportation system that produce less 
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greenhouse gas emissions and are 70 percent more 
fuel efficient than trucks for large loads. The Amer-
ican Association of Railroads reports that a freight 
train can carry 457 ton-miles per gallon of diesel 
fuel and are substantially more fuel efficient than 
other forms of surface transportation. 
(2) The Alaska Railroad Act (38 Stat. 305), 
which was signed into law on March 12, 1914, au-
thorized the construction of a 1,000-mile rail line in 
the Territory of Alaska ‘‘to best aid in the develop-
ment of the agricultural and mineral or other re-
sources of Alaska . . . and so as to provide trans-
portation of coal for the Army and Navy, transpor-
tation of troops, arms, munitions of war, the mails, 
and for other governmental and public purposes’’. 
(3) The Alaska Railroad, which was constructed 
between 1915 and 1923, consists of only 467 miles 
of main line tracks. An additional 533 miles of 
tracks could be constructed under the original au-
thorization. 
(4) An 80-mile rail extension between North 
Pole and Delta Junction— 
(A) would greatly benefit the Department 
of Defense, which has large training areas 
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south of the Tanana River between Fairbanks 
and Delta Junction; 
(B) would provide access to the Joint Pa-
cific Area Range Complex, which is currently 
limited to ice roads during winter; 
(C) would enable the United States Army 
to mobilize military units to a staging area im-
mediately south of the Tanana River; 
(D) would enable the United States Air 
Force to move large freight to the Fort Greely 
missile intercept complete located near Delta 
Junction; and 
(E) would facilitate the economical move-
ment of commercial freight and passenger 
transportation, including tourism. 
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND IN ALASKA FOR RAILROAD 
RIGHT OF WAY. 
(a) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of 
the Interior, and such other Federal officials as may be 
necessary and appropriate, shall convey to the Alaska 
Railroad Corporation (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Alaska Railroad’’) all rights, title, and interests held by 
the United States to approximately 950 acres of land lo-
cated between North Pole, Alaska, and Delta Junction, 
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Alaska, for the purpose of constructing a railroad corridor 
and related support areas and structures. 
(b) DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY.— 
(1) DETERMINATION.—The exact acreage and 
final route configuration of the conveyance author-
ized under subsection (a) shall be determined pursu-
ant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) process conducted by 
the Surface Transportation Board. 
(2) SURVEYS.—The legal description of the real 
property to be conveyed under subsection (a) shall 
be determined by surveys satisfactory to the Sec-
retary of the Interior. The cost of the surveys shall 
be borne by the Alaska Railroad. 
(c) ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior, and such other Federal officials as may be nec-
essary and appropriate, may require such additional 
terms and conditions in connection with the convey-
ances described in subsection (a) as may be appro-
priate to protect the interests of the United States. 
(2) SCOPE OF CONVEYANCE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The interest conveyed 
to the Alaska Railroad by the United States 
under subsection (a) shall be a full title inter-
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est, substantially equivalent to the title interest 
received by the Alaska Railroad under the Alas-
ka Railroad Transfer Act of 1982 (45 U.S.C. 
1201 et seq.) except as provided in subpara-
graph (B). 
(B) EXCLUSIVE
USE
RIGHT-OF-WAY.—If 
the Secretary of the Interior, the Alaska Rail-
road, and such other Federal officials as may 
be appropriate concur, the interest conveyed to 
the Alaska Railroad in designated areas shall be 
an exclusive use right-of-way in perpetuity, to 
include the full rail and utility franchise with 
reversion to conveyance described in subpara-
graph (A) in the event of future Federal dis-
position of fee title. 
(3) CONSTRUCTION.—The railroad extension 
shall be constructed in phases after the Surface 
Transportation Board has approved the entire route. 
(d) CONSIDERATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Alaska Railroad, shall, 
in consideration for the land conveyed by the United 
States under this section— 
(A) convey, or cause to be conveyed, ex-
change property in accordance with paragraph 
(3); 
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(B) pay the purchase price for such real 
property, in accordance with paragraph (4); or 
(C) pay other consideration as may be ne-
gotiated with the Secretary of Interior and 
other Federal officials, as appropriate. 
(2) NUMBER OF PAYMENTS.—Conveyance and 
payment of consideration may be made through a 
single payment for the entire route or through sepa-
rate payments for each portion of the route, as se-
lected by the Alaska Railroad. 
(3) REPLACEMENT PROPERTY.—If the Alaska 
Railroad chooses to provide consideration under 
paragraph (1)(A), the Alaska Railroad shall convey 
or cause to be conveyed, and pay the cost of con-
veying, to the United States, fee simple title to land 
that the Secretary of the Interior determines to be 
suitable in exchange for the property being conveyed 
to the Alaska Railroad. 
(4) PURCHASE PRICE.—If the Alaska Railroad 
chooses to provide consideration under paragraph 
(1)(B), the Alaska Railroad shall pay the United 
States the fair market value of the real property 
conveyed by the United States based on its highest 
and best use, as determined by an independent ap-
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praisal commissioned by the Secretary of the Inte-
rior and paid for by the Alaska Railroad. 
(5) APPRAISAL.—In carrying out an appraisal 
under paragraph (4)— 
(A) the appraisal shall be performed by an 
appraiser mutually acceptable to the Secretary 
of the Interior and the Alaska Railroad; and 
(B) the assumptions, scope of work, and 
other terms and conditions related to the ap-
praisal assignment shall be mutually acceptable 
to the Secretary of the Interior and the Alaska 
Railroad. 
(6) PAYMENT
TERMS.—Payment of the ap-
praised value for any land conveyed to the Alaska 
Railroad under this section shall be— 
(A) made by the Alaska Railroad to the 
United States upon completion of an as-built 
survey of the completed construction and re-
ceipt by the Alaska Railroad of formal convey-
ance; and 
(B) without interest or any escalation of 
the value due to the passage of time or develop-
ment of the real property. 
(e) PRE-CONVEYANCE ENTRY.—The Secretary of the 
Interior, and other Federal officials as may be necessary 
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and appropriate, on such terms and conditions as may be 
appropriate, may authorize the Alaska Railroad to enter 
upon the land to be conveyed to the Alaska Railroad at 
no charge for pre-construction and construction activities. 
(f) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this section 
may be construed to affect the duties, responsibilities, or 
liability of the Federal Government under the Comprehen-
sive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) concerning any lands 
conveyed under this section. 
Æ 
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