Railroad at the Top of the World

On Canada's arctic Baffin Island, engineers are preparing to construct the world's most northerly railway, a 143 kilometer line across permafrost to transport iron ore to Europe.

1 minute read

September 5, 2008, 11:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley

"It will be the world's most northerly railway, a private line snaking across the permafrost and rock of Baffin Island at a projected cost of $10-million per kilometre.

The ambitious project is part of a plan to tap iron-ore deposits 900 kilometres northwest of Iqaluit. [T]he harsh environment will make construction [very] difficult. The line will ferry workers to the mine site but will be used primarily to carry ore to the port, from which it will be shipped to Rotterdam. The projections call for four trains a day, nearly 300 days a year.

Mary River is projected to produce 18 million tonnes of iron ore annually for a generation."

FULL STORY: An iron road across the permafrost

Thursday, September 4, 2008 in The Globe and Mail

Transportation Canada Nunavut

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.