The railroad played a vital role in Alaska's development, moving freight into Alaska while transporting natural resources southward, such as coal from the Usibelli coal mine near Healy to Seward and gravel from the Matanuska Valley to Anchorage.
ðə ɹˈeɪlɹoʊd plˈeɪd ɐ vˈaɪɾəl ɹˈoʊl ɪn ɐlˈæskəz dɪvˈɛləpmənt, mˈuːvɪŋ fɹˈeɪt ˌɪntʊ ɐlˈæskə wˌaɪl tɹænspˈoːɹɾɪŋ nˈætʃɚɹəl ɹᵻsˈoːɹsᵻz sˈaʊθwɚd, sˈʌtʃ ɐz kˈoʊl fɹʌmðə jˌuːzɪbˈɛli kˈoʊl mˈaɪn nˌɪɹ hˈiːli tə sˈuːɚd ænd ɡɹˈævəl fɹʌmðə mˈætɐnˌʌskə vˈæli tʊ ˈæŋkɚɹɪdʒ.