I say, and did in the past, that the E-W route has to go in if not for Ring's mines then for the native communities. Fortunately for them that Noront and just about any other non-chromite mine could be going their way.

The flip side of the above is that IF Cliffs were to put in a rail line and perhaps a road through the N-S route then the E-W is on hold for perhaps decades. Result, some of the natives would play the Attawapiscat scenario for who knows how long. Government
politicians would need ro earn their diplomatic credentials.

N-S means that all the other miners would benefit from cheaper transportation by rail.

Cliffs is not dead in the water financially, all they have is a reduction of income to which they need to adjust. But as part of that adjustment is a lean on the canadian governments to contribute more towards buildig the railway. This recession in metal prices is a blessing in disguise for Cliffs because they have an argument to contribute less and by default governments more.