President Donald Trump is expected to issue a permit for a rail line connecting Alaska and Canada.
In a late Friday tweet, the Chief Executive said he would be issuing a Presidential Permit for “cross-border rail between Alaska and Canada.” President Trump cited the influence of Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young for that decision.
The Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation has been working since 2015 on plans to build and operate a railway connecting the existing Alaska Railroad to northern Alberta. ConstructConnect in Canada reports the $17-billion project could connect all of North America to global markets through Alaska tidewater ports.
Once constructed, the A2A railway will transport varying commodities including oil, grain and ore in addition to containerized goods.
Officials say the proposed 16-hundred-mile line would also reduce transit time for products moving between Asia and North America.
