Heavy haul news – Page 3

  • Rio Tinto is to test the automatic operation of heavy haul freight trains.
    News

    Rio Tinto ready to test automated operation

    2014-05-22T14:06:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto Iron Ore has confirmed its intention to ‘soft launch’ its AutoHaul project before the end of May, to test the automatic operation of heavy haul freight trains. The initial run on the Hamersley line between Tom Price and the port at Dampier is described by an ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-riotinto-locos.jpg
    News

    Rio Tinto orders Wabtec ECP braking equipment

    2013-05-01T10:00:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: On April 30 Wabtec Corp announced an US$15m order to provide electronically-controlled pneumatic braking equipment including software for use on heavy haul locomotives and wagons operated by Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region. Delivery is scheduled for this year. The contract follows on from previous orders to supply ECP ...

  • Work has started on setting out the alignment for the Roy Hill iron ore railway. (Photo RHIO)
    News

    Roy Hill railway contract awarded

    2013-04-05T13:51:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Construction of the proposed 342 km railway to serve the Roy Hill iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is on course for completion by November 2015, following the award of an A$5·9bn contract to Samsung C&T. Under the deal, South Korea’s second largest construction company ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-ore-train-RioTinto_01.jpg
    News

    Rio Tinto awards heavy haul signalling contract

    2012-09-10T14:30:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Ansaldo STS Australia has been awarded a A$80·2m contract to supply signalling, communications and train control equipment for Rio Tinto's heavy haul Rail Capacity Enhancement Project 353. Project 353 covers doubling of the 70 km single track line from Emu Siding to the port at Cape Lambert, as part ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-rio_tinto_01.jpg
    News

    Rio Tinto automation contract confirmed

    2012-07-06T10:14:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Train operations on Rio Tinto’s heavy haul iron ore railways in the Pilbara are to be fully automated by 2015 under two contracts announced on July 6. Valued at A$362m in total, the contracts have been exercised under the framework agreement which Rio Tinto signed with Ansaldo STS in ...

  • tn_au-coal-train-sunset_10.jpg
    News

    UGL announces freight locomotive orders worth A$190m

    2012-06-07T10:16:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Four 'significant' orders to supply and maintain a total of 38 freight locomotives were announced by UGL Ltd on May 31. The total value of the contracts is A$190m. Rio Tinto has ordered an unspecified number of GE Evolution locomotives, taking the total number of GE/UGL locomotives ordered for ...

  • AD70ACe/LCi locomotive for BHP Billiton.
    News

    BHP Billiton places large heavy haul locomotive order

    2012-03-02T14:44:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Downer EDI has been awarded a five-year contract to supply a minimum of 80 Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe/LCi locomotives for BHP Billiton Iron Ore's heavy haul network in Western Australia. The A$292m agreement announced on March 2 has options which could take the total value to more than A$400m. ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-rio_tinto-locos_05.jpg
    News

    Rio Tinto to introduce driverless trains by 2014

    2012-02-20T09:02:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto confirmed on February 20 that driverless trains would begin running on its Hamersley and Robe River iron ore network in Western Australia’s Pilbara region during 2014, under an A$518m investment package which forms part of the group’s ‘Mine of the Future’ strategy. Rio Tinto is currently investing ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-rio_tinto-locos_04.jpg
    News

    Rio Tinto places ECP braking order

    2011-05-09T13:13:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Wabtec is to supply Rio Tinto with electronically controlled pneumatic braking equipment for an initial six heavy haul locomotives and 3 600 iron ore wagons under a US$21m contract announced on May 9. The equipment is to be delivered in 2011-12 for retrofitting to wagons which currently have Wabtec's ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-rio_tinto.jpg
    News

    First contract placed under heavy haul signalling agreement

    2011-04-08T09:49:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto Iron Ore has placed its first A$96m firm order for signalling and communications equipment under a five-year framework agreement with Ansaldo STS, the signalling supplier announced on April 7. Ansaldo STS anticipates that the total value of works under the five-year framework agreed in November 2010 will ...

  • tn_au-fortescue-wagons_04.jpg
    News

    Heavy haul expansion plan approved

    2011-01-20T14:11:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Investment of US$4·6bn in heavy haul rail and port facilities is included in a US$8·4bn expansion plan which has been approved by Fortescue Metals Group. The 30-month project will see FMG’s Pilbara ore production capacity increased from 55 to 155 million tonnes/year. Rail works include doubling 120 km ...

  • An iron ore railway in Australia.
    News

    Karara ore railway construction contract

    2010-08-26T10:05:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Macmahon has been awarded a A$86m contract for civil works and tracklaying on an 85 km railway forming part of the Karara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia. Starting from Karara, 500 km northeast of Perth, the new line will run to Tilley Siding near Morawa where it will ...

  • tn_au-ore-wagons-fortescue_02.jpg
    News

    Pilbara iron ore line approved

    2010-06-25T10:52:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Plans to build another 300 km rail link to serve the Pilbara iron ore mining region in Western Australia were approved by the state government on June 24. Premier Colin Barnett said the signing of an agreement with Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd was ‘a major step forward for ...

  • The first full ore train left the Mesa A/Warramboo mine in the Pilbara on February 19 (Photo: Rio Tinto).
    News

    Pilbara heavy haul extension opens

    2010-02-25T14:31:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: The first 163-wagon iron ore train left the Mesa A/Warramboo mine in the Pilbara on February 19, using a 49 km extension of the Deepdale heavy haul line from Pannawonica to reach the port at Cape Lambert. The train was driven by Shane Edwards, a local Aboriginal man, as ...

  • Rio Tinto train.
    News

    Pilbara miners to combine heavy haul assets

    2009-06-08T15:20:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have signed a non-binding agreement to combine their mining, heavy haul rail, port and other iron ore production assets in Western Australia. The June 5 agreement sets out plans to establish an equally-owned joint venture to manage the assets, with 'substantial synergies' expected ...

  • Rio Tinto iron ore train.
    News

    Rio Tinto postpones driverless plan

    2009-01-15T11:32:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto Iron Ore announced on January 13 that it was postponing work on its Pilbara automated train operations programme. The easing of market growth caused by the economic slowdown has reduced the urgency of the A$557m project, which was designed to increase the efficiency of the ...

  • Rio Tinto heavy haul train.
    News

    Heavy haul automation contract placed

    2008-12-04T10:45:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Ansaldo STS announced on December 4 that it had been awarded a €103m contract to provide automation technology for the driverless operation of Rio Tinto's Hamersley and Robe River heavy haul railway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The automation project will be completed by 2012, enabling ...

  • tn_au-pilbara-ore-train-RioTinto.jpg
    News

    Pilbara lines declared open access

    2008-11-30T08:00:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: The long-running battle to bring open access to the heavy-haul iron ore railways in Western Australia reached another milestone on October 27, when Commonwealth Treasurer Wayne Swan 'declared' BHP Billiton's Goldsworthy railway and Rio Tinto's Robe River and Hamersley lines under the National Access Regime within the Trade Practices ...

  • Heavy haul train.
    News

    Pilbara open access from November 20

    2008-10-27T11:21:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Three heavy haul iron ore railways in West Australia are to be 'declared' permitting third parties to negotiate open access with effect from November 19, Commonwealth Treasurer Wayne Swan announced on October 27. Swan will 'declare' BHP Billiton's Goldsworthy railway and Rio Tinto's Robe River and Hamersley lines ...

  • au-pilbara-ore-train-RioTinto.jpg
    News

    Pilbara access battle continues

    2008-08-03T11:43:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals is a step closer to gaining access to the Pilbara railway networks owned by rival mining groups BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. In mid-June the National Competition Council recommended that the Robe River, Hamersley and Goldsworthy rail lines should be opened up, in order to boost competition ...