Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowboy89
Actually should Siberia and other Eastern Russian areas expand development of natural resources this will be a very viable shipping route with oil pipelines, trainlines and a highway. Many Natural resources such as Timber, Oil and Gas, Mining metals, etc are in relatively unexplored Eastern Russia. There isn't an economic case for this now, but in 30 years time there just might since North America is a net consumer of resources as opposed to a producer. We will have depleted much of our domestic supplies of these resources by then. It would be faster when the resource comes directly from Eastern Russia.
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Like I said, the only good reason would be for shipping purposes. You're right about the long term potential.
As for transcontinental rail, the rationale was asserting sovereignty, as well as connecting remote areas. If Canada didn't build the CP line, a spur line from the Union Pacific might have made this Calgary, Montana rather than Calgary, Alberta. Nowadays, no one without a deathwish would challenge Russian or American sovereignty in that area. Growth could follow, but it would depend greatly on climate change, as the area is really too cold and remote to support much in the way of population.