VIDEO: Matt Vickers plans to build a rail line that will ship oil from Alberta to Asia

Matt Vickers received a flurry of attention when he publicly announced a proposal to run a rail line from Alberta to Alaska so the province can access Asian markets.

Vickers, CEO of G Seven Generations Ltd., met with MINING.com mid-November to explain where the project currently stands.

The rail line is a possible alternative to the politically fraught Northern Gateway pipeline project. Vickers says a rail line will be safer than a pipeline, and his project would keep super tankers off the coast of British Columbia.

The Financial Post notes that a single-track rail line would cost $8.4-billion and carry 1.5 million barrels per day. In comparison the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline has a capacity of 1/2 million barrels a day and will cost $5.5 billion.

“I met with the First Nations leadership to explain the project to them to ensure they would be on board, at least at this time, for the feasibility study,” says Vickers.

“The engineering firm has done a scoping document to prove the viability of this project right now.”