AGAIN : A RAILROAD TO ALASKA? : CANADIAN AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS WOULD FUND IT

The idea of a railroad to Alaska from the lower 48 states has been gaining momentum in the United States as Congress looks toward Alaska's abundance of resources and prime location for a National Ballistic Missile Defense System. Currently, 1100 miles separate the Alaskan railroad from the northern extremity of British Columbia's rail system. Congress passed Rails to Resources in 2000 providing for a joint U.S.-Canadian commission to study the feasibility of rail connection. Previously, the limitation of economic development in and around Alaska had halted plans for completing the Alaskan Railroad. Today the oil reserves and natural resources of Alaska may prompt the U.S. government to finish proposed connections.