Of the $17 billion construction budget, $14 billion would be spent in Canada.OTTAWA — Nearly one in three Canadians (31 per cent) say they would cycle more i...“All of that work is stepping up as we try to take major permits out of the way and derisk the project for potential investors,” says Treadwell. “We keep talking about more access and all the routes we are looking at are by pipeline,” says Peter Wallis, CEO of the University of Calgary-supported Van Horne Institute, which published the Alberta to Alaska Railway Pre-Feasibility Study. It would also require construction of switching yards, water and wastewater facilities, and installation of power lines and fibre optic cable.The rail project would consist initially of a single rail line with sidings that would allow trains to travel in both directions. To see each train route highlighted … These are factors that command a serious look.”The proposed 2,440-km railway would carry 1 million to 1.5 million barrels a day from Fort McMurray to a pipeline in Alaska that would transport the bitumen on a final short leg to a marine terminal in Valdez.“You always have to quantify the risks. A2A is also engaging directly with each of the affected communities and First Nations, offering them equity in the project and proposing joint ventures involving construction and railway operation. The financial risks are real; it’s an expensive project, but if you are looking over the 30 or 40 years this will operate and you realize the value of the minerals, bitumen and oil which are going to be carried … it’s probably a pretty good bet for the future.”The heavy gauge track would have a maximum one-per-cent grade along its route. He says, “It is purpose-built to operate as a very safe railway.” Although the railway would face regulatory, environmental and political hurdles similar to those currently stalling pipeline projects, it has several factors working in its favour, says Wallis.According to the study, the estimated price tag of $28 to $34 billion involves “substantial risk,” but that could be mitigated by the potential of up to $659 billion worth of minerals along the route that could be harvested and transported over a 30-year period.“This project is an opportunity to move our bitumen product offshore into world markets,” says Wallis. In July of 2020, a survey of the proposed Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A Rail) route began. A2A Rail has already assembled a team of more than 40 people and invested almost $60 million in the project. In 2013, the Government of Alberta provided funding to the Van Horne Institute to explore the possibility of an Alberta-to-Alaska railway . However, under a study commissioned by Canada’s Van Horne Institute (VHI) and released in 2016, the government of Alberta asked VHI to examine the viability of moving bitumen on a purpose-built railway through Alaska.OTTAWA — Public Services and Procurement Canada has announced that controlled ex...ST GEORGE'S, N.L. “It’s kind of audacious, it is large and it is designed to be safe and to exploit otherwise locked-in ore bodies, plus create opportunities for First Nations for jobs and equity involvement. VANCOUVER — Provincial officials in B.C. In Canada, the next step would involve the formal determination of the size and scope of any environmental assessments regarding the project.VANCOUVER — Vancouver now has six schools under construction as part of efforts...FORTY MILE, ALTA. In the U.S., a presidential permit is required for the proposed railway to extend across the border. Surface Transportation Board and comply with the requirements of the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act to seek necessary permits and permissions. The University of Alaska and the Michigan Technical Research Institute assessed the mineral volumes and transport revenue potential along the route.First Nations involvement is also essential to the success of the project.
With an estimated “realistic” timeline of nine years for approval and construction, this rail link would be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canadian history.The study, funded by Alberta Energy, took more than two years to complete. It is unclear whether this rail connection would ever be expanded to also serve passengers, like the Alaska Railroad. “It would cross some areas of permafrost, though not many and a few areas of wetlands and would involve some tunneling and bridging.”OTTAWA — Proposals for new mines, power plants, pipelines or railways in Canada...The current proposed route of the A2A would incorporate existing railway connections in Canada and would generally head along a southeasterly route through Yukon, Fort Nelson in northeast British Columbia and finally connect with Fort McMurray in Alberta.It’s no pipe dream. — RBC recently announced it has inked a formal agreement with...comments for this post are closedCOVID-19 has brought significant change to construction contracts in Canada in t...The project would use steel rails, likely incorporate concrete ties and require transportation of a large amount of gravel ballast.