Mount Newman railway line
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mining, Rail transport |
| Founded | January 22, 1969 |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | Pilbara, Western Australia |
| Products | Iron ore transportation |
| Owner | BHP |
| Website | www |
The Mount Newman railway, a privately owned and operated rail system by BHP in the Pilbara area of Western Australia, was constructed specifically for iron ore transportation. It is one of two rail lines managed by BHP in the Pilbara, alongside the Goldsworthy railway.
In addition to BHP's infrastructure, the Pilbara region hosts three other independent iron ore railways: Rio Tinto's Hamersley & Robe River railway, Fortescue Metals Group's Fortescue railway, and Hancock Prospecting's Roy Hill railway.
History
Extending 426 kilometres from Newman to Port Hedland, the Mount Newman railway ranks among Australia's longest private rail corridors. It services key iron ore deposits such as Mount Whaleback, Orebodies 18, 23, and 25, Jimblebar, Yandi, and Area C. The railway is notable for supporting some of the world’s longest and heaviest trains. Officially inaugurated on 22 January 1969 by Premier David Brand, it continues to be essential for BHP’s iron ore export activities.
The communication infrastructure utilizes a digitally trunked P25 VHF radio system alongside SDH transmission through fibre optic or microwave connections. Remote repeater stations are predominantly solar-powered, with generators as backup. Solar energy also powers wayside monitoring devices and signals, all remotely controlled from BHP’s Integrated Remote Operations Centre (IROC) located in Perth.
Typically, a train journey from Newman to Port Hedland takes approximately eight hours. Trains are composed of 268 wagons spanning 2.89 kilometres in length, each carrying up to 138 tonnes of iron ore.
In late 2012, BHP consolidated its train control operations into a centralized facility based in Perth.
On 21 June 2001, the railway achieved world records by operating the heaviest and longest train ever recorded: a 7.3-kilometre consist weighing 99,734 tons with 682 wagons hauled by eight GE AC6000CW locomotives ran between Yandi and Port Hedland, moving 82,000 tons of iron ore over a distance of 275 kilometres.
Rolling stock
In December 1967, Mount Newman Mining purchased two Electro Motive Diesel F7 locomotives from Western Pacific Railroad for use on construction trains; these units were retired by 1971.
The initial batch of Alco 636 locomotives arrived in June 1968, with a total of 54 acquired by December 1977—33 manufactured by AE Goodwin and the remaining 21 by Commonwealth Engineering.
Beginning in January 1987, eight Alco 636 units underwent rebuilding by UGL Rail (A Goninan & Co) at Welshpool into CM36-7 models; these were withdrawn from service by 1999. Two of these rebuilt locomotives were later refurbished and leased to Pilbara Rail until their retirement in 2009.
An additional group of 34 locomotives was converted into GE Dash 8-40C CM40-8Ms; three were originally constructed without cabs to reduce expenses but were subsequently retrofitted with cabs to enhance operational efficiency.
Between September and December 1988, four new GE C39-8 CM39-8 locomotives were produced and later upgraded to CM40-8 specifications. Two more CM40-8 units joined the fleet in November 1992.
The final Alco 636 locomotive that had not been rebuilt was withdrawn in February 1995; several examples have been preserved by heritage groups.
In 1999, BHP Billiton acquired eight GE AC6000CW locomotives—the most powerful in Australia at an output of 4.66 MW—which were retired in 2013.
Confronted with a shortage of motive power in 2003, BHP Billiton procured nine EMD SD40R and twelve SD40-2 locomotives from Electro-Motive Diesel. These units dated back to 1966 and had previously served various US railroads before being withdrawn from service by December 2013.
Starting in February 2006, BHP Billiton began receiving deliveries of EMD SD70ACe/lc locomotives totaling 105 units. Notably, ten locomotives originally intended for BNSF were acquired directly off the production line and delivered still bearing BNSF colors. Additionally, one unit was obtained solely for spare parts due to cost considerations.
Popular Culture
In 2024, Queensland saw the debut of the Australian stage production Straight from the Strait. Developed by Norah Bagiri and Rubina Kimiia, this musical portrays the experiences of Torres Strait Islander laborers who moved to contribute to track construction during the 1960s.
External links
- BHP
- Pilbara Railways – website for railway enthusiasts