Alaska-Canada rail link?
Is this another boondoggle? Who knows? The state-owned Alaska Railroad Corp. signed an agreement with a Canada-based developer, Alaska-to-Alberta Railroad Development Corp., or A2A Rail, to give it rights to use track owned by the state railroad if its plan for an $18 million Canada-Alaska rail link materializes. The idea, which would involve shipping stranded Alberta tar sands bitumen to Pacific markets, has support from Gov. Mike Dunleavy and some state legislators. Dunleavy wrote to President Donald Trump asking for his support for federal approval of a cross-border link. A2A Rail proposes new rail built from the existing Canadian rail system north through Yukon and eastern Interior Alaska to link with the Alaska Railroad, which now extends east from Fairbanks to Eielson Air Force Base. The developer has signed a deal with the Mat-Su Borough to use the borough-owned Port MacKenzie as an export facility. A2A Rail would also help the borough finance completion of a rail spur from the existing railroad to the port that is now about half complete but stalled for lack of funds.

Vigor plots shipyard strategy
A new plan by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority to help Alaska vessel operators finance upgrades could steer more work to Ketchikan’s shipyard, operated by Vigor Industries. The plan was before AIDEA’s board in late June. In another initiative, Vigor is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to get the Ketchikan shipyard qualified to do more maintenance on Coast Guard vessels, several of which are home-ported in Alaska. Vigor is dealing with a downturn in work at the shipyard after completing two new state ferry vessels.