Heavy haul news
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NewsMalmbanan iron ore railway reopens after derailments
SWEDEN: Iron ore trains on the single-track railway between Kiruna and Narvik resumed on March 6 following two recent derailments. Toma Bačić reports.
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In depthInterview: Heavy haul line expands Mongolia’s rail capacity
Interviewed about the challenges of building a heavy haul freight line through the Gobi Desert, CEO of Bodi International Dolgormaa Bukhbat highlights the harsh Mongolian climate and the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on logistics and construction.
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NewsPilbara heavy haul battery locomotive unveiled
AUSTRALIA: A FLXdrive battery-powered heavy haul locomotive for iron ore mining company Roy Hill has been unveiled at Wabtec’s factory at Erie in the USA. ‘This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future’, said Wabtec President & CEO Rafael Santana ...
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NewsPilbara iron ore wagon manufacturing agreement
AUSTRALIA: An agreement to manufacture iron ore wagons in the Pilbara region has been announced by Rio Tinto and Gemco Rail, supported by supply partner Qiqihar Railway Rolling Stock and the government of Western Australia. The mining company is expecting to spend a total of ...
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NewsBattery freight locomotive conversion underway
AUSTRALIA: One of Aurizon’s Class 4000 diesel locomotives is being converted to a prototype EMD Joule battery powered heavy-haul freight loco which can be charged using renewable electricity and capture regenerated energy when braking or travelling downhill. The operator said the prototype will be ’a measured ...
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NewsStudy finds batteries and hydrogen could replace diesel locos on heavy freight trains
AUSTRALIA: Batteries or a combination of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells could feasibly replace diesel traction on rail freight corridors across Australia, according to a study undertaken by the University of Queensland and operator Aurizon. Researchers analysised real-world data to assess the energy required to transport ...
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NewsGuinea bauxite miner orders British sleepers
GUINEA: British Steel, Trackwork and Pandrol are to supply 244 000 steel sleepers to mining company Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée, which is upgrading its 135 km standard gauge heavy haul line which links the Sangarédi bauxite mine with Kamsar. Trackwork will process the rolled sleepers ...
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NewsLKAB orders 100 ore wagons
SWEDEN: Mining company LKAB has awarded Kiruna Wagon a contract to supply a further 100 high-capacity iron ore wagons and refurbish 92 of its existing vehicles. The 92 rebuilt wagons will be fitted with stiffened load baskets and bottom hatches with sliding doors. This is intended ...
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NewsExport boost expected from Mongolia – China railway opening
MONGOLIA: Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has officially opened the 226·9 km railway from Zuunbayan to Khangi on the Chinese border, saying it will form ‘Mongolia’s new gateway for transporting mining export products competitively to the global marketplace’. The 1 520 mm gauge line interchanges with a ...
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NewsMongolian heavy haul coal railway opens
MONGOLIA: President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh has officially opened the 234 km heavy haul railway connecting the Tavan Tolgoi coal deposits in the Gobi desert to an inland port at Gashuun Sukhait close to the Chinese border. The opening ceremony was held at on September 9, when the ...
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NewsDriverless heavy haul railway expanded to serve automated iron ore mine
AUSTRALIA: A 166 km branch has been built to connect Rio Tinto’s new Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in the Pilbara to its 1 700 km heavy haul network, which is operated using AutoHaul driverless trains. The first loaded train ran in June, with production scheduled to ...
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NewsTetra communications deployed on Gobi desert railway
MONGOLIA: Teltronic has deployed a Tetra communications network for the 240 route-km heavy haul railway which is under construction to link the Tavan Tolgoi coking coal mines with Gashuun Sukhait on the border with China. The Spanish company has installed a complete communications system based on ...
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In depthMongolia: Gobi coal exports poised to switch to rail
Despite significant delays caused by the pandemic and a challenging local climate, commissioning of the infrastructure for Mongolia’s Tavan Tolgoi – Gashuun Sukhait Railway is due to start next quarter. The country’s largest current railway construction project will see exports from one of the world’s largest coking coal mines transfer from road to rail.
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NewsUS locomotives rebuilt for Australia
AUSTRALIA: Wabtec is supplying a fleet of modernised diesel locomotives to an Australian customer for the first time, with a contract to rebuild 28 second-hand diesel locomotives for delivery to Fortescue Metals Group over two years. The locos are being rebuilt to the AC44C6M specification at ...
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NewsFortescue looks to Infinity and beyond with gravity-powered battery train
AUSTRALIA: Mining company Fortescue and its recently acquired Williams Advanced Engineering business have announced plans for the Infinity Train, which is intended to capture regenerated energy from loaded downhill runs and store it to power the returning empty trip. ‘The Infinity Train has the capacity to ...
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In depthComment: Rail freight’s big battery booster
A string of recent orders for battery-electric locomotives from railways in North America and Australia offers hope of decarbonising the heavy haul freight sector, as well as the promise of innovations which railways elsewhere could adopt in the future.
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NewsFormula 1 technology company to support development of battery train
AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals Group’s green technology division Fortescue Future Industries is developing what it says is a ‘world leading’ battery electric train concept. The project was disclosed on January 24 when Fortescue announced it had agreed to acquire UK-based motorsports technology company Williams Advanced Engineering, saying ...
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NewsBHP to trial battery locos on Pilbara iron ore network
AUSTRALIA: Mining company BHP has awarded Progress Rail and Wabtec contracts to supply four battery locomotives for trials on its Western Australia Iron Ore network from late 2023. Progress Rail is to supply two EMD Joule eight-axle locomotives with a battery capacity of 14·5 MWh, while ...
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NewsFortescue orders EMD Joule battery locomotives
AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals Group has ordered two EMD Joule battery locomotives from Progress Rail for use on its iron ore railway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Offering an energy storage capacity of 14·5 MWh, the eight-axle BE14.5BB locomotives will be manufactured at Progress Rail’s ...
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NewsRio Tinto battery locomotive
AUSTRALIA: Mining company Rio Tinto has ordered four Wabtec FLXdrive battery locomotives for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia from 2023. The locos will be used for multiple purposes, initially focused on yard shunting and then main line service. Rio Tinto currently uses three ...