Hughes $25 billion pitch: connect Alaska's railroad to Canada, and Nome to the Interior

Gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes is pitching an ambitious idea on the campaign trail: link the Alaska Railroad to Canada's rail network and extend a line all the way to Nome, which she told supporters at an Eagle River event would, over decades, lower energy and supply costs for Nome and communities along the route.

The plan comes in three phases: the nearly $400 million Port of Nome expansion, already under construction and meant to create the country's first Arctic deepwater port; a rail connection from Alberta to the Alaska Railroad; and, the biggest piece, an extension from Nenana to Nome. Hughes, a state senator, said a presidential permit for the Canadian border crossing was signed in 2021 and the right of way is secured. The Alberta-to-Alaska rail concept appeared in a state long-range transportation planning document in 2022.

Hughes framed the corridor partly in geopolitical terms, noting that Arctic shipping lanes are heavily dominated by Russia. "The state of Alaska needs to step up for the sake of this nation and get that balance right," she said.

The obstacles are considerable, and largely unresolved. Hughes said the total cost is unknown but offered a "very rough estimate" of roughly $25 billion just for the Alaska section, not counting other costs. She said the project would not be state-funded — the state's role, she said, would be to clear the way for private investors to decide whether to build it, which is the central open question the pitch leaves unanswered. Her campaign said it would release more corridor details in the weeks ahead.

The event was a campaign rally, and every speaker backed the plan; no opposing or independent voices were included, and the cost and benefit figures came from the campaign rather than an independent analysis. The primary is Aug. 18, with the top four finishers advancing.