Hamersley & Robe River railway
Encyclopedia
The Hamersley & Robe River railway, majority-owned and operated by the Rio Tinto Group
, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
for the purpose of carrying iron ore. The network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network in private ownership. The total length of the network's track is about 1,300 kilometres of track.
Additionally to the Rio Tinto network, there is also two independent rail lines, operated by BHP Billiton
, in the Pilbara. The Newman
and the Goldsworthy railway
, the first from Newman
and the second from the Yarrie mine, both run to Port Hedland, also for the purpose of transporting iron ore. A third, privately owned iron ore railway line in the region, operated by the Fortescue Metals Group
, is the Fortescue railway
.
The rail network first begun operation in 1966, when a line from Tom Price
to Dampier
was run. The network was later expanded with the construction of spur lines to Paraburdoo, Marandoo
, Brockman
and the Yandicoogina mines
.
As of 2010, the network services 11 mines in the Pilbara region, transporting 220 million tonnes of iron ore from there to the ports of Dampier and at Cape Lambert
annually.
In November 2007, the National Competition Council of Australia received an application from The Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd to use part of the Hamersley railway. The following January, another application was lodged by Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd, this time for the use of the Robe River railway. Earlier, in June 2004, the Council had received an application from the Fortescue Metals Group
(FMG) to use of part of BHP's Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway.
In May 2008, Rio Tinto suffered a setback when the Federal Court of Australia rejected an attempt by Rio to block the Fortescue Metals Group
from using their rail network. Following this, in June 2010, the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that Fortescue would be granted access to the Robe River line and BHP Billiton
's Goldsworthy line but not to the busier Hamersley and Mount Newman lines. Treasurer Wayne Swan
suggested that several advantages would accrue from access to the rail lines by third parties. It would increase competition, reduce duplication of infrastructure, and reduce environmental damage.
Access to the rail networks by third parties is governed by the State Agreements Act.
The locomotives operated by the network are GE Dash-9 (of which there are 72), GE Evolution Series
(of which there are 51) and GE Dash-8 (of which there are 5).
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
for the purpose of carrying iron ore. The network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network in private ownership. The total length of the network's track is about 1,300 kilometres of track.
Additionally to the Rio Tinto network, there is also two independent rail lines, operated by BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
, in the Pilbara. The Newman
Mount Newman railway
The Mount Newman railway, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore...
and the Goldsworthy railway
Goldsworthy railway
The Goldsworthy railway, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore. It is one of two railway lines the group operates in the Pilbara, the other being the Mount Newman railway.Additionally to the BHP...
, the first from Newman
Newman, Western Australia
Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...
and the second from the Yarrie mine, both run to Port Hedland, also for the purpose of transporting iron ore. A third, privately owned iron ore railway line in the region, operated by the Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group is an Australian iron ore mining company. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km² in the Pilbara region of Western Australia making it the largest tenement holder in the state. It is listed as FMG on the Australian Securities Exchange .In 2008, the group loaded...
, is the Fortescue railway
Fortescue railway
The Fortescue Railway, owned and operated by the Fortescue Metals Group , is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore. It is the only railway line the group operates in the Pilbara, having opened in 2008...
.
History
Tom Price, Western Australia
Tom Price, situated in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is an industrial town. The town is located inland, at the edge of the Hamersley Range...
to Dampier
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
was run. The network was later expanded with the construction of spur lines to Paraburdoo, Marandoo
Marandoo mine
The Marandoo mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 45 kilometres east of Tom Price.The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined...
, Brockman
Brockman mine
The Brockman mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price. It is sometimes also referred to as Brockman 2 mine to differentiate between it and Rio Tinto's new Brockman 4 mine project, also in the area.The mine is fully owned and...
and the Yandicoogina mines
Yandicoogina mine
The Yandicoogina mine, often shortened to Yandi, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 95 kilometres north-west of Newman. it should not be confused with BHP Billiton's Yandi mine, which is located nearby....
.
As of 2010, the network services 11 mines in the Pilbara region, transporting 220 million tonnes of iron ore from there to the ports of Dampier and at Cape Lambert
Cape Lambert
Cape Lambert is a port facility operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is located 40 kilometres north of Karratha.-Overview:...
annually.
In November 2007, the National Competition Council of Australia received an application from The Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd to use part of the Hamersley railway. The following January, another application was lodged by Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd, this time for the use of the Robe River railway. Earlier, in June 2004, the Council had received an application from the Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group is an Australian iron ore mining company. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km² in the Pilbara region of Western Australia making it the largest tenement holder in the state. It is listed as FMG on the Australian Securities Exchange .In 2008, the group loaded...
(FMG) to use of part of BHP's Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway.
In May 2008, Rio Tinto suffered a setback when the Federal Court of Australia rejected an attempt by Rio to block the Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group is an Australian iron ore mining company. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km² in the Pilbara region of Western Australia making it the largest tenement holder in the state. It is listed as FMG on the Australian Securities Exchange .In 2008, the group loaded...
from using their rail network. Following this, in June 2010, the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that Fortescue would be granted access to the Robe River line and BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
's Goldsworthy line but not to the busier Hamersley and Mount Newman lines. Treasurer Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...
suggested that several advantages would accrue from access to the rail lines by third parties. It would increase competition, reduce duplication of infrastructure, and reduce environmental damage.
Access to the rail networks by third parties is governed by the State Agreements Act.
Trains
Every Rio Tinto iron ore train consists of a maximum of 234 ore cars, with each car having a load capacity of up to 106 tonnes. Trains are up to 2.4 kilometres long and, fully loaded, weigh approximately 29,500 tonnes. The trains have an average cycle time of 28 hours.The locomotives operated by the network are GE Dash-9 (of which there are 72), GE Evolution Series
GE Evolution Series
The Evolution Series is a line of diesel locomotives built by GE Transportation Systems, designed to meet the U.S. EPA's Tier 2 locomotive emissions standards that took effect in 2005. The first pre-production units were built in 2003. Evolution Series locomotives are equipped with either AC or DC...
(of which there are 51) and GE Dash-8 (of which there are 5).
Rail depots
Rail depots are located at Tom Price, Cape Lambert and Dampier while the train control is based in Perth.Mines
The rail network transports ore from the following Rio Tinto-operated mines to the ports at Dampier and Cape Lambert:- Brockman mineBrockman mineThe Brockman mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price. It is sometimes also referred to as Brockman 2 mine to differentiate between it and Rio Tinto's new Brockman 4 mine project, also in the area.The mine is fully owned and...
- Brockman 4 mineBrockman 4 mineThe Brockman 4 mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price. The mine, located near the existing Brockman mine, is scheduled to open in 2010....
- Nammuldi mineNammuldi mineThe Nammuldi mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 60 kilometres north-west of Tom Price.The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
- Mount Tom Price mineMount Tom Price mineThe Mount Tom Price mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, near Tom Price.The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined Pilbara...
- Marandoo mineMarandoo mineThe Marandoo mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 45 kilometres east of Tom Price.The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined...
- Mesa A mineMesa A mineThe Mesa A mine, sometimes also referred to as Waramboo mine, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 50 kilometres west of Pannawonica....
- Mesa J mineMesa J mineThe Mesa J mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 16 kilometres south-west of Pannawonica.The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
- Paraburdoo mineParaburdoo mineThe Paraburdoo mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, near Paraburdoo.The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined Pilbara operations...
- Channar mineChannar mineThe Channar mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 17 kilometres south-east of Paraburdoo.The mine is partly owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
(ore transported to Paraburdoo by conveyor) - Eastern Range mineEastern Range mineThe Eastern Range mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 10 kilometres south-east of Paraburdoo.The mine is partly owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
(ore transported to Paraburdoo by conveyor) - West Angelas mineWest Angelas mineThe West Angelas mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 110 kilometres west of Newman.The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...
- Yandicoogina mineYandicoogina mineThe Yandicoogina mine, often shortened to Yandi, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 95 kilometres north-west of Newman. it should not be confused with BHP Billiton's Yandi mine, which is located nearby....
- Hope Downs mineHope Downs mineThe Hope Downs mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 100 kilometres northwest of Newman.The mine is partly owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara...