Wiggins Island Rail Project

The Wiggins Island Rail Project is a $900 million project commissioned by eight of the coal companies in the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal Pty Ltd, which is proposing to build the Wiggins Island Coal Terminal in Gladstone. In September 2011 QR National announced that it's subsidiary, QR Network Pty Ltd had "reached a commercial agreement with Xstrata Coal, Aquila Resources, Bandanna Energy, Caledon Resources, Northern Energy Corporation, Yancoal Australia, Wesfarmers Curragh and Cockatoo Coal, to proceed with the construction of Stage One of the Wiggins Island Rail Project."


 * The project will have a capacity for 27 million tonnes of coal a year. Construction is scheduled to commence in early 2012 and be commissioned in mid-2014. In a media release QR National's Managing Director & CEO, Lance Hockridge, said "he was delighted to announce the project that will contribute to a 30% increase in the tonnes transported from the southern Bowen Basin coal region". QR National states that "the project includes construction of a 13 kilometre balloon loop near Gladstone, upgrades to sections of the North Coast Line, the Moura System and the Bauhinia branch line, as well as duplication of sections of track along the Blackwater System. Upon completion, the mainline Blackwater System will be fully duplicated."

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