I was kind of hoping that BNSF or UP would have taken over BCRail. There was a huge fiasco about the BC Government not looking into the offers coming in, knowing all along that CN would end up with it, no matter what the circumstances.

If BNSF got BCRail, the freight destined to the US would originate at Prince George from the branchlines. BNSF trains with BNSF crews would work the entire distance to the final destinations abroad. Competing trains that would travel on CN would be forced to take the Redpass Junction, then south in order to get to the Lower Mainland area. I dont know the difference in terms of mileage, but the speeds on the CN are higher. There could also be a connecting line from Lytton, BC to Lilooet, BC. It's only about 60kms (40mi), trackage rights to PG. CN already had a yard in PG, and a mainline on a horizontal axis through the area. Whatever would be it's competition would be on a vertical axis. As far as I know, there is more E/W traffic and revenue versus N/S because the port of Prince Rupert on the coast.

UP would have been a similar scenario, but the operation of a satellite railroad might be unappealing. Trackage rights from Seattle would help, but then all the agreements on both sides of the border would be a difficult thing to digest.

What a difference a few years make. With all the cross-border aquisitions and operations nowadays, if BCRail had held on a few more years......anything could have been possible. We have seen great advances in cross-border operations in the past ten years.

BTW, BCRail's official fanclub and special interest group's home is on foreign soil..............

almo