“This is one of those projects that almost seems like a “no-brainer”, but then I read that article too. Yikes!”
That would be a great trip for the wife and I to take if they ever put it together. Even now, there seems to be a massive and interesting rail system in Canada...along with a separate system in Alaska (between Seward and Fairbanks).
Over 50 years ago (golly!), as a kid my family traveled in to a lake in Canada by rail. You told the conductor which fishing camp you were going to, they stopped the train in the middle of the woods (a couple camp employees were waiting trackside), we disembarked, took a short hike, and then took fishing boats over to the camp. Heading home, the process was reversed, except the group leaving flagged down the train. We were told if no one was spotted at the stop, by the engineer / crew, the train went on through. One could also flag down the train at non-regular stops, so long as it was in a place where the engineer could see you from sufficient distance to comfortably stop.
How much freight transport there was along that line, I have no idea. (I just don’t remember!)