Rail
The rail system is an essential part of Rio Tinto's integrated iron ore production process and directly affects the company's capacity to blend ore to meet customer specifications.
Key Data
| Location | Depots at Tom Price, Cape Lambert, and Dampier (7 Mile) Train Control is located in Perth |
|---|---|
| Operation | Services 11 mines via a mainline system of approximately 1300 kilometres of track. |
| Working arrangements | Residential and Fly-in/Fly-out roster |
| Haul capacity | Approximately 220 million tonnes of ore per annum. |
| Train Profile | Each train is operated by a single driver, and comprises up to 234 ore cars, each ore car with a load capacity of approximately 106 tonnes. A fully loaded train weighs approximately 29,500 tonnes and is about 2.4 kilometres in length. |
| Cycle time | Average cycle time is about 28 hours; there is a train movement almost every 25 minutes along the line. |
| First year of operation | 1966 |
| Ownership | Hamersley Iron and Robe River; managed by Pilbara Iron. |
| Assets |
Locomotives: |
Latest media releases
- 30 August 2010
Rio Tinto approves US$1.6 billion investment in Hope Downs 4 mine - 04 August 2010
Rio Tinto to invest additional US$790 million in expansion of Pilbara capacity to 330 Mtpa - 03 August 2010
Rio Tinto to invest US$170m for the next stage of the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea