Atechnician, The EW route is over lots of Muskeg and LOTS of water crossings. Much of it will be built on swamp mats. As a road it can be do but as a railway it would be cost prohibitive to bring in all the aggregate needed. The NS route follows a series of eskers (glacial gravel deposits) so its higher ground with a ready source of gravel. It to has issues with muskeg but not as much and it has close by aggregate. Both routes would be expensive but the EW would much more expensive, road or no road, and have no advantage over a NS route. ... Been there