Fortescue railway
Encyclopedia
The Fortescue Railway, owned and operated by the Fortescue Metals Group
(FMG), 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. Upon completion, the railway line was the heaviest haul railway in the world, designed for 40 tonnes axleloads, 2.5 to 5 tonnes heavier than the other Pilbara iron ore rail systems.
Additionally to the FMG line, a number of other networks operate in the region. One is operated by the Rio Tinto Group
, the Hamersley & Robe River railway
, while another two, operated by BHP Billiton
, are the Goldsworthy railway
and the Mount Newman railway
.
Construction on the 280-kilometre-long line from the Cloud Break mine
to the Herb Elliott Port at Point Hedland was begun in November 2006. The line was scheduled to be fully operational within 18 months. A cyclone in March 2007 killed two workers at the project and led to delays. The first train from the mine to the port travelled on 5 April 2008.
As of 2010, FMG operates 15 GE Dash 9-44CW
locomotives and 976 freight cars on the line. The journey from mine to port takes approximately five hours and, on average, four trains a day are operated.
Unlike BHP, which controls its trains from Port Hedland, Fortescues trains are controlled from Perth. The line is open-access, meaning Fortescue is willing to allow other mining companies to use it for their operations.
(FMG) on 15 June 2004, to use part of the Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway.
In June 2010, the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that FMG would be granted access to Rio Tinto's 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.
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), 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. It is the only railway line the group operates in the Pilbara, having opened in 2008. Upon completion, the railway line was the heaviest haul railway in the world, designed for 40 tonnes axleloads, 2.5 to 5 tonnes heavier than the other Pilbara iron ore rail systems.
Additionally to the FMG line, a number of other networks operate in the region. One is operated by the Rio Tinto Group
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...
, the Hamersley & Robe River railway
Hamersley & Robe River railway
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...
, while another two, 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...
, are 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...
and the Mount Newman railway
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...
.
History
FMG originally planned to use the existing railway lines, owned and operated by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, to develop its Cloud Break deposit. Lengthy legal battles however forced the company to spend A$2.5 billion to construct its own line.Construction on the 280-kilometre-long line from the Cloud Break mine
Cloud Break mine
The Cloudbreak mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 89 kilometres west-south-west of Nullagine, in the Chichester Range....
to the Herb Elliott Port at Point Hedland was begun in November 2006. The line was scheduled to be fully operational within 18 months. A cyclone in March 2007 killed two workers at the project and led to delays. The first train from the mine to the port travelled on 5 April 2008.
As of 2010, FMG operates 15 GE Dash 9-44CW
GE Dash 9-44CW
The GE C44-9W is a 4,400 hp diesel locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie, Pennsylvania. Keeping in tradition with GE's locomotive series nicknames beginning with the "Dash 7" of the 1970s, the C44-9W was dubbed the Dash 9 upon its debut in 1993. The design has since proven popular...
locomotives and 976 freight cars on the line. The journey from mine to port takes approximately five hours and, on average, four trains a day are operated.
Unlike BHP, which controls its trains from Port Hedland, Fortescues trains are controlled from Perth. The line is open-access, meaning Fortescue is willing to allow other mining companies to use it for their operations.
BHP Billiton & Rio Tinto railway use
Before deciding to construct its own line, the National Competition Council of Australia received an application from the Fortescue Metals GroupFortescue 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) on 15 June 2004, to use part of the Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway.
In June 2010, the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that FMG would be granted access to Rio Tinto's Robe River line and BHP Billiton'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.