Railway to the tar?

Railway Age, May, 2004

The Alberta is examining a proposal to build a new railway line to tap the petroleum-laden tar sands in the northern part of the province. The multi-billion-dollar line would be a partnership of the government, CN, and oilsands developers, says Premier Ralph Klein. There are estimates that energy companies could spend up to C$50 billion in the next decade to increase oil and natural gas production from the tar sands, so it could make sense, Klein says, to construct a new line to carry heavy equipment used in mining and extraction.

It also would divert traffic from the highway between Edmonton and Fort McMurray, which is the tar sands' industry hub. A CN spokesman told Railway Age that a feasibility study is under way in co-operation with its short line partners. Its Athabasca Northern Railway runs northeast from Edmonton to just south of Fort McMurray, and would need a major upgrade before it could carry heavy traffic year-round.