Regarding ecomomics, are not their mineral (mining) and agricultural expansion possibilities in Alaska that would be realized by year-round lower-cost transportation to Canada and the rest of the USA?
Proposed route map is here at this website. They are trying to avoid BC.
https://a2arail.com/
EuclidWithout further information, I cannot rule out the possibility that this project will be publically financed by the U.S. and Canada.
I believe the A2A RAIL people have bent over backward to keep the financing private, even to the extent of having the American or Canadian governments provide access to cheaper or better guaranteed financial terms.
Someone remind me what their currently touted routing is, and whether it changed in response to the First Nations controversies a few months ago or the weaselry inherent in some of the supposed Canadian-government responses to them.
[quote user="samfp1943"]
SD60MAC9500 The proposed route would have to continue where the Dease Lake Extension left off. From what I understand the grade of the DLE is still there. Albeit overgrown many times over. This proposed line does pass through substantial; Copper, Iron, Zinc, Titanium, Tin, Coal and Hydrocarbon reserves. Whether those get developed if this is built who knows. Though on the intermodal side of things.. This line would put us closer to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Aisa. Build a contianer port in the Cook Inlet just opposite of Anchorage. It might be worth the investment. [/quot Read this 'TWEETED' message in a news agrigator's site I read. And then saw this Thread posted by NKPguy earlier. Unfortunately, a component of the NEWSWire article is in a paywalled site for the Anchorage Daily News ! Here is another site that proclaims "Trump to issue permit for $22-billion railway between Alaska and Alberta to transport oil, other resources" [by Jeffery Jones] It is the Globe and Mail site. linked @ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-trump-issues-permit-for-22-billion-alaska-to-alberta-railway/ The article states [in part] FTA:"...Alaska to Alberta Railway (A2A), which would link south-central Alaskan ports with Fort McMurray, Alta., and the rest of the continent’s rail network, will start preparing regulatory applications in Canada and Alaska. It will also begin consultations with Indigenous communities, which will be offered an equity stake of up to 49 per cent, executives said on Sunday. The line would give Alberta’s oil sands producers a new oil export option, but also provide service for other freight in either direction on the 2,570 kilometres of track that will extend through Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, according to the plan. But it still faces major regulatory and financial hurdles..." [article also includes a small map of the proposed route.] An interesting development; and seems to have also garnered some prety cynical and negative comments from this Forum. Surely, with the current political climate in the U.S.A. it seems to be as encouraging as an attempt to set up a beach chair in a hurricane. Will surely be a story followed around this Forum with interest(?).
The proposed route would have to continue where the Dease Lake Extension left off. From what I understand the grade of the DLE is still there. Albeit overgrown many times over. This proposed line does pass through substantial; Copper, Iron, Zinc, Titanium, Tin, Coal and Hydrocarbon reserves. Whether those get developed if this is built who knows. Though on the intermodal side of things.. This line would put us closer to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Aisa. Build a contianer port in the Cook Inlet just opposite of Anchorage. It might be worth the investment.
[/quot Read this 'TWEETED' message in a news agrigator's site I read. And then saw this Thread posted by NKPguy earlier. Unfortunately, a component of the NEWSWire article is in a paywalled site for the Anchorage Daily News !
Here is another site that proclaims "Trump to issue permit for $22-billion railway between Alaska and Alberta to transport oil, other resources" [by Jeffery Jones] It is the Globe and Mail site. linked @ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-trump-issues-permit-for-22-billion-alaska-to-alberta-railway/
The article states [in part] FTA:"...Alaska to Alberta Railway (A2A), which would link south-central Alaskan ports with Fort McMurray, Alta., and the rest of the continent’s rail network, will start preparing regulatory applications in Canada and Alaska. It will also begin consultations with Indigenous communities, which will be offered an equity stake of up to 49 per cent, executives said on Sunday.
The line would give Alberta’s oil sands producers a new oil export option, but also provide service for other freight in either direction on the 2,570 kilometres of track that will extend through Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, according to the plan. But it still faces major regulatory and financial hurdles..." [article also includes a small map of the proposed route.]
An interesting development; and seems to have also garnered some prety cynical and negative comments from this Forum. Surely, with the current political climate in the U.S.A. it seems to be as encouraging as an attempt to set up a beach chair in a hurricane. Will surely be a story followed around this Forum with interest(?).
Well it seems I'm ignorant of the political face-off going on between Alberta, and B.C at the moment... I found the story you linked with included map, and the DLE is off the table.. Considering this is the best way north as the DLE RoW travels through the relatively flat Rocky Mountain Trough. Maybe when elections come up in B.C. things could change.
A few items .. Not sure how concerned Canada would be with DoD movements by rail to Alsaka and vice-versa. So in that regard this link could be a strategic move for any arctic aggression (Russia) that might transpire. Last item. Based on current information and drilling samples from over the years. Alaska is potentially sitting on over 600 trillion cubic feet (Yes 600 trillion) of recoverable natural gas in the form of shale gas and hydrates. Rail could be the mover of NG out of Alaska for sometime until pipeline capacity catches up. Which would have to go through many hurdles with First Nations, Inuit, and so forth..
That is a possibility. The Alaska Railroad is owned by the State of Alaska. It will be interesting to see if they end up being the owners of the stretch between North Pole and the border.
In reading further, I don't find any clear statement as to how this will be financed. It is being built by The Alaska – Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A RAIL). Without further information, I cannot rule out the possibility that this project will be publically financed by the U.S. and Canada.
"explode"!!
York1 John
Trying to be apolitical, but here are some facts for the discussion.
The Tanana River Bridge, which is Alaska's longest bridge at 3,300 feet, was completed in 2014 and is owned by the Alaska Railroad.
Articles in news media (Anchorage Daily News) at that time indicated the hope was for it to be a key link in a future rail connection to Canada.
It is about 298 miles from the current end of ARR track in North Pole, AK to Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territory.
That portion af any proposed rail line will be litigated in US courts.
The President - whoever it is - has authority to approve or disapprove international border crossings for rail, pipeline and other commercial projects.
The portion of the rail line in Canada, which is the vast majority of the line, will be litigated in Canadian courts.
Opponents only need to stop it in one country - proponents need to have it approved in two countries.
I found an article about it that said it will be completely privately funded through a company affiliated with the Alaska RR. I will try try to find the link again.
greyhounds NKP guy How typical of this man & his so-called administration that he will "call for" extending a rail link to Alaska before giving a green light to the Gateway project with its much-needed tunnel under the Hudson River. Like his always-threatening lawsuits, nothing will come of this. Why should it? Where's the need? Or the market to support it? He must think all of us are suckers & losers. After all, "We don't pay taxes. The little people pay taxes," as another of his ilk once said. You seem to be misinformed. The Gateway project will require many billions of taxpayer dollars. That's a whole different animal than the Alaska project which will be built, if it is, with voluntarily invested private money. All President Trump has to do for the Alaska line is approve crossing the international border. The two projects are totally different in funding but you conflate them in your blind hatred of the president.
NKP guy How typical of this man & his so-called administration that he will "call for" extending a rail link to Alaska before giving a green light to the Gateway project with its much-needed tunnel under the Hudson River. Like his always-threatening lawsuits, nothing will come of this. Why should it? Where's the need? Or the market to support it? He must think all of us are suckers & losers. After all, "We don't pay taxes. The little people pay taxes," as another of his ilk once said.
You seem to be misinformed.
The Gateway project will require many billions of taxpayer dollars. That's a whole different animal than the Alaska project which will be built, if it is, with voluntarily invested private money. All President Trump has to do for the Alaska line is approve crossing the international border.
The two projects are totally different in funding but you conflate them in your blind hatred of the president.
I fail to see where NKP Guy was misinformed. Your blind allegiance to the person in the people's White House leads you to explode with a temper tantrum. Issuing a permit? The question is whether or not any private interests want to construct a rail line. If they did, seems likely that a permit was not the missing link.
BaltACDGuess it will be funded by Trump's IRS tax returns.
Russell
[quote user="SD60MAC9500"]
Guess it will be funded by Trump's IRS tax returns.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
NKP guyHow typical of this man & his so-called administration that he will "call for" extending a rail link to Alaska before giving a green light to the Gateway project with its much-needed tunnel under the Hudson River. Like his always-threatening lawsuits, nothing will come of this. Why should it? Where's the need? Or the market to support it? He must think all of us are suckers & losers. After all, "We don't pay taxes. The little people pay taxes," as another of his ilk once said.
More engineering consultants will gain some man-years of employment, and then the idea will most likely die (again) when the financial numbers are added up. I don't expect to see any meaningful construction. It might, barely, cover its operating costs but never the initial capital investment.
rrnut282I was under the impression that the Gateway Project was going forward, just with a larger chunk of funding from the local states.
It is.
A railroad to Alaska's been kicked around ever since WW2. Why it's going to be built (maybe) now I don't know.
Who will pay for and own this railroad? Is it to be a private sector railroad? If so, are there investors that see the need and the ability for it to pay for itself and thus are willing to finance it? What are the details of that part of this news story?
I was under the impression that the Gateway Project was going forward, just with a larger chunk of funding from the local states.
The news item is right here on this website.
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/09/28-digest-trump-indicates-approval-coming-for-proposed-alaska-rail-link
How typical of this man & his so-called administration that he will "call for" extending a rail link to Alaska before giving a green light to the Gateway project with its much-needed tunnel under the Hudson River.
Like his always-threatening lawsuits, nothing will come of this. Why should it? Where's the need? Or the market to support it?
He must think all of us are suckers & losers. After all, "We don't pay taxes. The little people pay taxes," as another of his ilk once said.
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