In 2000 as a U.S. Senator, Governor Murkowski passed the Rails to Resources Act. The act authorized establishment of a Bilateral Rail Commission and a feasibility study with Canada designed to take a serious look at Alaska/Canada railroad connections.

The Governor and Premier Fentie signed a memorandum of understanding in April 2005 so that the Alaska and Yukon governments could move forward themselves with the study. Funding for the study is a mix of U.S. and Canadian federal, state, and provincial monies. A bilateral management working group and an advisory committee was established to oversee and manage the feasibility study. It is assessing the long-term social and economic benefits of a rail connection from Alaska to the Yukon, northern British Columbia, Canada and the United States. The study is comprised of four parts--market analysis, technical analysis, financial analysis and public interest analysis. For more information, http://alaskacanadarail.com/

Vision for an Alaska-Canada railroad is not new. It was initially proposed by the Harriman Expedition in the mid-1800s to connect Alaska to Siberia. An Alaska-Canada Railroad was proposed again during the Klondike gold rush. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed a railroad route during WWII, but built the Alaska-Canada highway instead.

Tremendous mineral wealth exists along the corridor. Potential exists to co-locate utilities, pipelines, and fiber-optics. Governor Murkowski continues to promote discussion on all opportunities for Alaska rail advancement, including extending the railroad to Northwest Alaska to access coal deposits and one day crossing the Bering Straits.

In 2005, cargo traffic at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport grew 13%. Currently, 37 foreign and domestic airlines operate in Anchorage transporting 5.1 billion pounds of cargo each year. Most of the international cargo operators have the authority to pick up or drop off international freight from or to the Alaska market.

Activity at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport creates nearly one in nine jobs in Anchorage, many of them in international cargo operations. Alaska also enjoys nonstop year round passenger service to Taipei on China Airlines; and seasonal nonstop passenger service to Frankfurt on Condor German Airlines, to Seoul on Korean Air and to Vancouver.

Recent legislation allows foreign and domestic carriers to expand transfer operations at ANC. Northwest, Korean and Transmile Air were the first carriers to initiate new transfer operations under this new authority. Many international cargo operators also have significant cargo sorting and transloading operations in Anchorage including UPS, FedEx, and Japan Airlines.

Two airlines are taking advantage of both Anchorage and Fairbanks airports with their routing. For the first time, JAL operated summer passenger charter flights to Fairbanks, enabling Japanese visitors to make the most of their time in Alaska with one way itineraries that begin in Fairbanks and end in Anchorage. Condor German Airlines has operated Anchorage/Frankfurt summer service for more than 10 years and completed their fifth season of non-stop Fairbanks/Frankfurt operations. Fairbanks retains its enviable standing as the smallest U.S. market with non-stop European passenger service.

After almost sixteen years and 15,000 landings, Lufthansa Cargo bade a reluctant “auf weidersehan” to Fairbanks as the German flag carrier rerouted is Europe – Asia cargo operations to time saving itineraries via central Asia.

Alaska’s exports of seafood, forest products, minerals and coal move primarily by chartered marine service from various ports in Alaska. Dutch Harbor-Unalaska is the top U.S. port for export of seafood. Coal exports to Korea depart the Port of Seward. Red Dog Mine in northwest Alaska has a summer shipping season during which its ore products are shipped to markets in North America, Asia and Europe from the Red Dog Mine Port. Forest products move directly from a variety of southeast destinations to international markets.