The line is seen as a way to give petroleum products a way to reach Alaskan terminals, and for containerized shipments to avoid congestion at U.S. and Canadian ports farther south.
State Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, said in a release the rail link “would provide a huge boost to our state’s economy. Access to the North American railroad system would mean faster and more efficient shipping of goods, lowering the cost of living for all Alaskans.”
As reported by Trains, two separate groups are floating proposals for privately funded rail lines from Alaska to western Canada and the Lower 48 states. The estimated cost of the line is $17 billion; the resolution notes the state would not be on the hook for a line connecting the state to Alberta.
The resolution asks that a presidential permit for a border crossing be issued “as soon as practicable to reduce any regulatory risk for the project.”
SJR 11, approved unanimously by the Senate, has been sent to the Alaska House for consideration.
