TRANSNET Freight Rail (TFR), South Africa, is to introduce 200-wagon trains between the coalfields of Mpumalanga province and the port of Richards Bay in an effort to increase the capacity of the corridor to 81 million tonnes in the next financial year.
China's Shuo Huang Railway is aiming to almost triple capacity on its heavy-haul network by 2018 as it tries to keep pace with growing demand for coal. Kevin Smith examines its plans.
PILBARA region junior miner Brockman Iron is seeking track access rights to Fortescue Metals Group's (FMG) existing rail infrastructure under the provisions of the Western Australia Railways Access Code.
BRAZILIAN mining conglomerate Vale has cleared a significant hurdle in its plans to build a railway to serve the new Carajás Serra Sul (S11D) mine in the state of Pará after the project was granted environmental approval by the federal government.
FOLLOWING speculation last year, Pilbara iron-ore miner Fortescue Metal Group (FMG) has confirmed that it is to sell a minority interest in its rail and port assets.
With heavy-haul operations placing significantly more stress on track structures and components, railways should consider customised maintenance schedules and practices, as Dr David Rhodes, Pandrol's technical director, explains.
PLANS to construct one of the world's most northerly railways have faltered because of difficulties in securing finance for the Mary River iron-ore mine on Baffin Island.
In their rush to extract western Africa's vast mineral wealth, mining companies are revitalising existing, and building new, heavy-haul rail lines. Paul Ash presents a comprehensive round-up of the latest activities in the region.
SECOND tier iron ore miners operating in the mid-west of Western Australia have been dealt a blow with the indefinite suspension of the $A6bn ($A 6.2bn) Oakajee Port and Rail (OPR) project, which would have provided them with a 570km standard-gauge, heavy-haul, open-access rail link to the proposed new port facility at Oakajee 24km north of Geraldton.
IN preparation for the opening of the new manganese export terminal at the Port of Ngqura, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has carried out a series of tests on the Hotazel to Port Elizabeth line evaluating the performance of 208-wagon trains with distributed traction.
