Video Shows Alaska Tourist Train Headed For a Broken Bridge. Here's What Really Happened

28.12.2023 - 03:31 / matadornetwork.com

Saying that social media videos aren’t always trustworthy feels like the biggest no brainer of the century. But in an era of AI, videography tricks, and influencers trying literally anything to garner attention, it bears remembering that when it comes to TikTok, not everything is as it seems. Take this video of a train journey through Skagway, Alaska.

The train is traveling through the scenic countryside by the White Pass & Yukon Railway, showcasing the picturesque landscape surrounding the track. Then, toward the end of the video, the camera pans to a section of collapsed railroad tracks, and the people onboard joke around how they might get across, including the possibility of jumping the gap. Indeed, the video is even captioned, “bridge collapse on scenic train ride in Alaska.” The only problem is, the tracks aren’t the same ones the train is actually on, the train is in no actual danger of running off the rails, and that bridge didn’t spontaneously collapse on video, but has been broken and abandoned for decades.

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In 1898, the White Pass & Yukon Route began building the first major commercial railroad in Alaska thanks to the Gold Rush. The railroad ran from Skagway to Bennett and Whitehorse, and established Skagway as a main transportation gateway to the interior of northern Canada. It revolutionized the region’s economy, allowing more efficient transport of goods that no longer required people to carry items by hand or on their backs. The railway did, however, fall into disuse decades later and eventually part of it collapsed. It has never been restored.

While it certainly makes for a scenic video, the abandoned railway isn’t in use by any actual trains, making the above video rather misleading. This is apparent from the video below, which shows a different view of the collapsed railroad, which clearly isn’t actually in use or connected to a working track.

While a train leaping over a railroad gap would certainly be exciting, for now, we’ll just have to content ourselves with enjoying the picturesque views of the Alaskan landscape.