Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. plans to construct a 93-mile railroad from Mary River to Steensby Port, in remote Nunavut, Canada, to increase production and the lifespan of the Mary River ore mine, the company and local media report.

“This is a defining moment for the Mary River Project,” Jowdat Waheed, acting chief executive officer for Baffinland, said in a news release announcing that the proposed railroad can proceed and has received all key regulatory authorizations.

The railroad will allow Baffinland to increase iron ore production to 22 million tons per year from the current 4.2 million tons and extend the mine’s life until 2050 and beyond, Peter Akman, head of communications for Baffinland, told the Nunatsiaq News. It will also reduce truck traffic, dust, and emissions.

A railroad was part of Baffinland’s original site proposal for Mary River and was approved by the Canadian government in 2012. Baffinland initially abandoned its plans for the railway but dusted them off a decade later. Construction should start this year and take about three years.

The railway will include three mainline passing sidings, arrival and departure tracks at Steensby Port and the mine, two tunnels, 42 bridges, and at least 258 culverts, Baffinland said. Plans also include new locomotives and cars, maintenance buildings, and ore and freight loading/unloading facilities at the mine and port.

—M.T. Burkhart