A railway between Alaska and northern B.C. that would run through the Yukon is a lot closer to reality than many people may think, says Mayor Ernie Bourassa.

He made the comment at Monday evening's council meeting after he was asked by other council members what came out of the Canada Gala event he attended in Anchorage last weekend.

The gala brought together government and business representatives to discuss issues concerning both sides of the border. Alaska officials are set to visit Whitehorse next week to continue discussions of the railway project.

'Basically, what we heard from the people involved up in Alaska was that the American military is going to do a $500-million bond issue and extend the Alaskan railway from Fairbanks to Fort Greely and then subsequently to the border,' Bourassa told reporters following the meeting.

Meetings were held between Alaskan representatives involved in the extension and Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon and territorial government staff.

Bourassa said it's expected the Alaskan extension to the railway would be done over the next four to five years.

'So the Alaskans are moving forward very quickly with respect to the railway issue,' he said.

Just how long it could be before work on a potential railway to the Alaska border would begin on the Canadian side is a good question, the mayor said.

'The indication we have is that once they start construction up there, a lot of the work may commence in a few years down here,' Bourassa continued.

'It's a matter of the Canadian government right now coming on board, looking at the study, but the American military is, from what I hear, moving ahead with the extension to Fort Greely.'

In February, Premier Dennis Fentie was expecting an announcement fairly soon on whether Canada would go ahead with studying the northern railway issue with Federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre hinting at such an announcement during a trip to Whitehorse last November.

As Bourassa pointed out though, it appears the plans will proceed to build the railway at least to the Yukon border.

The Alaska Railroad website (www.alaskarailroad.com) details some of the plans to extend the track to Fort Greely.

'The Alaska Railroad seeks to extend its mainline track from the crossing at Moose Creek/Richardson Highway, near Eilson Air Force Base, 80 miles southeast to Fort Greely, near Delta Junction,' reads the project description on the website.

It goes on to note commuter service on the line will only be viable if travel time on the rail is equal to or better than driving the highway. That calls for the track to accommodate 79-mile-per-hour (130 km/h) passenger train speeds that would only be possible on relatively flat grades with relatively straight tracks.

Among the purposes listed for the extension are building infrastructure to support existing resource and economic development in the Delta Junction; supporting military training beyond Fort Wainwright, Alaska by allowing freight movement and commuter service; and creating a port-to-rail cargo link 'that would enhance Alaska's status as a world class military training location for joint and combined activities.'

Benefits to extending the rail include:

ï fulfilling the U.S. military's need for year-round access to Tanana Flats and Donnelly training areas needed to support the Stryker Brigade's expanded training and exercises;

ï connecting all major military installations in Alaska by rail from three ports to Fort Greely;

ï allowing better choices for military personnel to live in the Fairbanks/North Pole area or Delta Junction because they would otherwise have to drive the Richardson Highway, which can be hazardous at times; and

ï supporting growth in existing agriculture and mineral resource development industries.

The conceptual design for the Fort Greely extension was done in 2004, with environment analysis and studies expected to be done this year and in 2006.

'Engineering, design and construction will follow as environmental analysis and funding permits,' reads the website.

Environmental, engineering and design work are expected to cost approximately $5 million US with funding for that coming from a U.S. Department of Defense grant.

The construction costs would be determined through the engineering process, the report on the website notes.

'Railroad plans are to issue tax-free bonds to finance construction,' reads the report. 'In 2004, the Alaska legislature authorized (Alaska Railroad) to issue up to $500 million in bonds.'

Bourassa believes the 'obvious route' would be through the Alaska Highway corridor rather than Tintina Trench reroute due to geotechnical reasons.

'What the minister advised me is that the trench has been deemed too unstable, if there's an earthquake, to ensure the survival of the railway,' he said. 'So it's better to put it on stronger ground.'

While it's not entirely certain where the railway would end up in B.C., Bourassa said the most likely option is Dease Lake.

'It makes a lot of sense considering the port access that is further south in Prince Rupert and the fact the B.C. and federal governments are doing a major, major upgrade to Prince Rupert over the coming years,' Bourassa said.

He went on to point out the cost of the railway could be recovered in cost savings from a potential natural gas pipeline. If the railway is built first, it makes it cheaper and easier to build the potential pipeline, the mayor said.

'The gas pipeline is a number of years away yet, but certainly there was a lot of buzz at this event (Canada Gala) surrounding the pipeline as well,' he said.

Bourassa said he is considering attending an Alaska Highway railway forum in April in Prince George, B.C. that the city has been invited to send representatives to.

Though Prince George isn't along the Alaska Highway, Bourassa explained the meeting will be held there because it's supporters in B.C. like Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley and others in the region who are hosting the event.

Kenyon said in an interview this afternoon the move in Alaska on the rail line shows the will is out there to build the project.

'It's one part of the puzzle,' he said.

Alaska's plans raise the profile of the project as the Canadian government continues to decide whether to participate in the study, he added.

During the Canada Gala, Kenyon said he met with engineers from the University of Alaska who have been working on the potential extension to the railway, government bureaucrats and others who have been working on it. It's hoped the Fort Greely rail extension would be complete in six years.

Like Bourassa, the minister noted the Tintina Trench route is highly unlikely due to the geotechnical issues he was unaware of until he viewed the maps of potential routes and spoke with engineers.

It was interesting to see the maps and how the area ties in with geotechnical and costs for the project, he said.

From the Yukon side, Kenyon noted the territory is continuing to push the Canadian government on the study, though he had expected a federal announcement on it to be made about a week ago.

The latest developments on the Alaska side could see Ottawa begin moving faster toward the study, he said.