Western Railroad Discussion > New rail line proposed: Alberta to Alaska

G Seven Generations Ltd has proposed a plan to build a new rail line connecting Fort McMurray, Alberta with the Alyeska Pipeline at Delta Junction, Alaska. The railroad would be built primarily to help move oil out of the Alberta Oil Sands region. The line would be about 1200 miles long and cost more than 12 billion dollars (Canadian). G Seven Generations believes the project is a viable alternative to several pipelines proposed to be built through British Columbia (ie. the railroad could carry many diverse products verses a pipeline built to handle just one product).



AM

How does this differ from the many earlier proposals to connect the Alaska railroad to the lower 48? I thought most of those plans started at one of two rail lines in British Columbia. I'm not real familiar with the routes of the ARR, but it does look like Delta Junction should be that far (relatively) from some portion of the ARR?

Greg

Greg Ramsey
Las Vegas, NV

Link to the press release:

http://unfnrailco.com/ESW/Files/G7G_Release_Indigenous_Summit_June_28-2011_EN_FINAL.pdf

Apparently they don't plan on connecting to the ARR. The PR above says it is to access the Alaska Pipeline as a method for Oil Sands from Northern Canada to reach new markets by using the Pipeline and the Valdez terminal.

Picture this.Building a railroad from the lower 48 through Canada to Alaska and then onto the Arctic oil terminals could also decommision and take out the dangers of using those ice roads and create a safer way to get goods and sevices to and from the region.I for one think it would take a lot less time and be the better if not the best way to get it there.A lot of truckers do get killed every year on those ice roads.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/11 10:58 by msdgbar.

mleland Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Link to the press release:
>
> http://unfnrailco.com/ESW/Files/G7G_Release_Indige
> nous_Summit_June_28-2011_EN_FINAL.pdf
>
> Apparently they don't plan on connecting to the
> ARR. The PR above says it is to access the Alaska
> Pipeline as a method for Oil Sands from Northern
> Canada to reach new markets by using the Pipeline
> and the Valdez terminal.

Interesting. Was the pipeline going to be used to transfer the sands as a slurry of some kind?

msdgbar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Picture this.Building a railroad from the lower 48
> through Canada to Alaska and then onto the Arctic
> oil terminals could also decommision and take out
> the dangers of using those ice roads and create a
> safer way to get goods and sevices to and from the
> region.I for one think it would take a lot less
> time and be the better if not the best way to get
> it there.A lot of truckers do get killed every
> year on those ice roads.


But then my favorite show Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel will be gone! Ice Road Truckers is filmed in Alaska and a portion of Canada. BUT, building a new rail line would definatly keep things on the safe side and would be better for the overall economy.


Aj

RedBankRocket Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> But then my favorite show Ice Road Truckers on the
> History Channel will be gone! Ice Road Truckers is
> filmed in Alaska and a portion of Canada. BUT,
> building a new rail line would definatly keep
> things on the safe side and would be better for
> the overall economy.
>
>
> Aj

Your show is safe! IRT's would continue traveling north of Fairbanks where us RR'ers won't go! They couldn't pay us enough ;)

The Alaska RR is making serious noise about building south from Fairbanks to Delta Jct., for pipeline access and support. Connect the two and VOILA!

Now on to the next serious hop - crossing the Bering Straits on a bridge/tunnel island hopping alignment.

And plan for the rail excursion to end ALL rail excursions:


Kyle of Lochaish, Scotland to North Sydney, Cape Breton, Canada.



The mind reels...

Interesting. Map on page 4 of 9, at this link:
http://unfnrailco.com/ESW/Files/Niagara_Falls_Summit_G7G_Presentation_FINAL_June-28-2011.pdf

To answer mustraline's query---the stuff that would be pipelined is crude oil extracted from the Alberta oil sands. At the present time, the Alaska pipeline is running at about 50% capacity due a drop off in Prudhoe Bay oil production. There are also shortfalls in ways to move the crude out of Alberta as the oil sands have proven to be a bonanza. And, the Alaska RR plan to extend the tracks to Delta Jct is a go--I think they are just waiting on final route plans and environmental impact studies. So, yes, I can see the ARR and this new line linking up.

A lot of what might happen depends on the pipeline across Nebraska. There's a
major push in Congress to get a yea or nay on this thing in short order. If it
doesn't get built the excess AND the crude from the north fields has to go
somewhere.

Shame its the Federal toads that have to decide if a state can lay pipe within the state boundaries.
Kinda a new definition of "interstate commerce".

The Feds have managed to run everything under the guise of "interstate commerce"
ie the Obama Health Plan which can force you to buy insurance because it's interstate
commerce and therefore they run it. Right.

MThopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To answer mustraline's query---the stuff that
> would be pipelined is crude oil extracted from the
> Alberta oil sands. At the present time, the Alaska
> pipeline is running at about 50% capacity due a
> drop off in Prudhoe Bay oil production. There are
> also shortfalls in ways to move the crude out of
> Alberta as the oil sands have proven to be a
> bonanza. And, the Alaska RR plan to extend the
> tracks to Delta Jct is a go--I think they are just
> waiting on final route plans and environmental
> impact studies. So, yes, I can see the ARR and
> this new line linking up.

Thanks. Interesting stuff.