ECONOMIC COMPARISON OF RAIL AND SLURRY PIPELINE FOR THE DOMESTIC MOVEMENT OF WESTERN CANADIAN COAL TO CENTRAL CANADIAN MARKETS

This report summarizes a detailed evaluation of the potential of coal slurry pipeline systems to compete with existing Canadian rail facilities. The evaluation comprises a technical feasibility and economic viability assessment of slurry transport systems servicing future movements of coal from Alberta to the Lakehead for subsequent transhipment to Ontario Hydro plants and perhaps Ontario steel plants. The pipeline system costs are derived from complete pipeline designs for each level of coal movement and detailed capital and direct operating cost estimates of each of the components of the systems so designed. These costs are evaluated for a number of possible financial conditions to derive pipeline operating expense. A comparison of the operating expenses of the rail alternative and the pipeline is made within the demands of probable financial conditions and for various levels of coal throughout to determine the conditions where the pipeline system is most viable.

• Corporate Authors:

  Canadian Transport Commission

  Systems Analysis Branch, 275 Slater Street
  Ottawa, ONo K1A 0N9,   Canada 
• Publication Date: 1974-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 79 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bulk cargo; Coal; Coal industry; Competition; Economic analysis; Freight traffic; Intelligent transportation systems; Pipelines; Slurry pipelines; Transportation modes
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced systems; Bulk traffic
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Pipelines; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00099865
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Canadian Transport Commission
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 123
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 18 1975 12:00AM