The Alaska Railroad Corporation is working with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to conduct a herbicide research project, similar to those accomplished for the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT/PF).
Two field studies were conducted for DOT/PF along highway rights-of-way in two different climatic zones (Delta Junction and Valdez). The proposed Alaska Railroad project is designed to compliment these previous tests as well as provide specific information to the Alaska Railroad.
2008-2010 Herbicide Research Project Frequently Asked Questions
ARRC Research Project Fact Sheet
Previous Herbicide and Alternative Methods Research
The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) has spent considerable time and resources to aggressively evaluate alternative methods for vegetation control in the ballast and tie area, particularly throughout the 1990s.
From 1988 through 2990, the Alaska Railroad commissioned the University of Alaska Fairbanks to investigate herbicide persistence and migration, as well as alternative methods of vegetation control. The results were published in a report in early 1991:
1991 UAF Alaska Railroad Integrated Vegetation Management Research Project (Report)
1991 UAF Alaska Railroad Integrated Vegetation Management Reserach Project (Appendices)
Following this university research, the railroad conducted testing of numerous non-chemical alternatives for vegetation management. This included testing of a steam machine in 1993, hosting a vegetation management symposium in 1994 to evaluate multiple alternatives, and testing three contractor-proposed methods / prototypes in 1998. The results of these efforts were analyzed and critiqued and compiled into a report in 1998:
Controlling Unwanted Vegetation That Impacts Railroad Infrastructure:
A Critique of the Trials of Five Potential Solutions and Review of Seven Other Potential Strategies
A summary of the Alaska Railroad's efforts to investigate, test and evaluate alternative non-chemical means of controlling weeds is recapped in this fact sheet:
Alternative Methods for Vegetation Control at ARRC: Evaluation and Implementation