An Alaska Railroad freight train derailed after hitting avalanche debris near Girdwood, Alaska. Two locomotives were derailed and a third was partially derailed, but no one was injured. The train had departed from Whittier with nearly 7,000 tons of freight. The cause of the avalanche and the speed of the train at the time of the incident are unknown. Avalanches along the Seward Highway are common, but it is unusual for that much debris to pile up. Wendy Wagner, director of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, advised caution for anyone traveling in the backcountry due to dangerous avalanche conditions throughout much of the region. Railroad personnel will continue assessing safety as they clear debris from the area, and once some of the avalanche work is completed, railroad officials will be better able to determine the extent of the damage and whether there will be any disruptions to rail service.