Was looking at the on-line Railway Gazette,International web site, and stumbled upon the above mentioned article by Carolyn Fitzpatrick, dated 24 July 2008, in its on line edition. Ms. Fitzpatrick is also listed as the project engineer for this new mineral hauling (Iron Ore) in the area of Baffinland at Mary River.
With the recent problems with winter railroading in Europe as well as instances here in the United States, A railroad that is newly planned and to be constructed in an area North of the Arctic circle would seem to be a true excercise in maschochism. The problems of just building and then maintaining a line built on permafrost; let alone a couple of tunnels as planned and described in the article: unimaginable!
This line would be enough to make Mudchicken loose his religion and feathers. Paul North and some of the others in railroad engineering on this Forum to develop ulcers from just thinking about the problems. The article stated the line was being planned, and engineered to start construction in 2010.
So I would suspect that things might be happening on this new line as we write. Admittedly, the article was in 2008 and have seen or heard nothing about it since. I wonder if this is actually going to happen or is it like the Bering Straits Bridge- a really good excercise in what if?
Sure hope someone here can add a little more to this story. Should be interesting, if in fact ,it is going to be built.
Sounds like the Swedes and Norwegians, have proved the technology in their railroad’s operational history. Hopefully, the Canadians will continue the success with their own arctic operations.
I thought it was a pretty remarkable undertaking to be operating in such a hostile environment, and would surely be of interest in these threads. It is amazing the mineral mining that is taking place above the arctic in Canada and Alsaska. The show “Ice Road Truckers” showed some of the challenges faced working in the arctic environment.
There is an article dated April 28, 2008 by NNS correspondent Paul Bickford detailing the new railyard being built East of Hay River, NWT. by CN. Billed as the farthest north facility connected to the North American Railnet. Apparently, in 2006 CN boughgt 3 shortlines back for $26 million.
There is another article in the same edition (scroll down from CN article)
Google “Baffinland Railroad Construction” Search the results. Pretty facinating reading.
Narvik - Kiruna is far north, sure. But not on permafrost. The Scandiavian peninsula is kept reasonably warm in summer by the Gulf Stream. Trains have hauled ore on malmbanan for over a hundred years, pulled by electric engines for the last 80 years or so.