The soil tests were done to determine how suitable the corridor is for a railway. I do not think anyone expected or still expects to find anything valuable there.

Had there been found anything valuable mining wise we would have heard about it. I base that notion on the dispute that occured with Cliffs`s road request, if there were minerals found it would give KWG added reason for not allowing Cliffs the access.
After all those are mining claims so mining activities should be part of their usage, otherwise Cliffs would have good reason for the grant of right of way through those claims.
I say that those claims should not have been given to KWG IF the intent was only to garner to themselves a transportation route.

(ps In some parts of the world, if you do not show work done within a certain period of time pertaining to what the claim was granted for, you forfit the claim.