The Alaska-Canada rail link feasibility was released into the public domain this morning.

'This study focused on market research,' Premier Dennis Fentie told a news conference this morning in Whitehorse.

'It focused on the technical aspects of a rail link. It focused on the economic development and impacts therein, especially within Yukon and Alaska.

'It also focused on routing.'

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin met with Fentie earlier in the morning, and, after months of delay, the oversight committee of the rail link project met and received the report.

The Yukon government provided $2.35 million for the study, which had a total cost of approximately $4.7 million US.

It proposes a T-shaped route with Carmacks as the hub and segments heading north to Delta Junction and south to a deep water port in the Inside Passage.

The study looks at the rail link in a 50-year life cycle and suggests the 1,900-kilometre track would have an investment cost of approximately $10.5 billion US.

The potential net revenues are projected at $7.8 billion, while the net public benefits are being tagged as $11.4 billion.

This means the economic benefits to the public could be expected to exceed the total cost of investment.

Approximately $3.9 billion of the costs over the 50 years are expected to be for capital, operating and maintenance cost, taking the full route construction cost to approximately $7 billion.

A market analysis is currently suggesting there could be between nine to 50 million tons of coal and concentrate exports, container traffic and ore exports moving along the line annually.

The report states the total economic impacts combined for Alaska and Canada over the 50 years would be an output of $170 billion gross domestic product and the creation of approximately 25,000 new jobs.

The building of such a rail link is critical to the long-term sustainability of larger mines, the survival of smaller mines in economic downturns and the import, export and transport of goods to Asian markets.

The report further suggests if the project moves forward it be conducted as a public-private partnership between governments and the private sector.

Fentie said the Yukon will now be presenting the findings of the study to the federal government and asking for input on whether Ottawa would be interested in pursuing the project further.

If the project does go forward, it should be a national infrastructure project, he said.

A major engineering study is what must be completed as the next step, he said.

'There's a lot of technical detail yet to be addressed.'

The Yukon's investment in this study, however, was needed to make an informed decision on what is the proper course of action, said Fentie.

Palin said the Alaska government will now be providing the information collected in the feasibility study to its public.

'My administration is all about openness, transparency. Everything we know, we want the public to know,' said the Democratic governor, who succeeded Frank Murkowski in late 2006.

The public and state government departments need to have the opportunity to vet the findings to determine what the potential benefits of the project are, she said.

The feasibility study was all about getting the numbers to determine if a rail link would be beneficial to Alaska, said Palin.

Earlier this year, Palin was quoted in the Alaskan media as saying the rail project is not a top priority for her administration.

'In some respects, we're starting anew with this project and so many others projects that would be beneficial to Alaska,' she said at today's press conference.

'Yes, Gov. Murkowski was real high on the idea. He wasn't re-elected, though.'

Neither the Yukon nor Alaska ever undertook to build a railway, said Fentie.

The study was a fact-finding mission that will enable both jurisdictions to continue on, he said.