Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Australian transport system. It is to a large extent state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate network being developed ever since Australia's federation in 1901. As of 2022, the Australian rail network consists of a total of 32,929 kilometres (20,461 mi) of track built to three major track gauges: 18,007 kilometres (11,189 mi) of standard gauge, 2,685 kilometres (1,668 mi) of broad gauge, and 11,914 kilometres (7,403 mi) of narrow gauge lines. Additionally, about 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) of 610 mm / 2 ft gauge lines support the sugar-cane industry. 3,488 kilometres (2,167 mi), around 11 per cent of the Australian heavy railways network route-kilometres are electrified.
Downer Group is an integrated services company active in Australia and New Zealand.
Peabody Energy is a coal mining company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its primary business consists of the mining, sale, and distribution of coal, which is purchased for use in electricity generation and steelmaking. Peabody also markets, brokers, and trades coal through offices in China, Australia, and the United States.
Downer Rail is a business unit within the Downer Group. As well as manufacturing and maintaining railway rolling stock it holds maintenance contracts to maintain rail infrastructure. The head office is located in North Ryde.
Tenix is a privately owned Australian company involved in a range of infrastructure maintenance and engineering products and services to the utility, transport, mining and industrial sectors in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the United States.
The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal. It was named for the Bowen River, itself named after Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Bowen.
Coal is mined in every state of Australia. The largest black coal resources occur in Queensland and New South Wales. About 70% of coal mined in Australia is exported, mostly to eastern Asia, and of the balance most is used in electricity generation. In 2019-20 Australia exported 390 Mt of coal and was the world's largest exporter of metallurgical coal and second largest exporter of thermal coal. While only employing 50,000 mining jobs nationally coal provides a rich revenue stream for governments.
The New Acland Mine is located adjacent to Acland township, about 10 km north of Oakey on the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia. Geologically it is part of the Walloon Coal Measures and contains more than 500 million tonnes of coal that is removed by the open cut method. The mine is owned and operated by New Hope Coal. As of Monday, September 2, 2019, the mine has become mothballed due to extension applications being denied. A stockpile will require trains to run for a little while longer, roughly twelve months.
The Millmerran Power Station is a coal-fired power station in Domville, south of Millmerran in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The power station was commissioned in 2002 and cost $1.5 billion to build. The power station is owned and operated by InterGen, a multinational company owned by Sev.en Energy, a Czech industrial group and AIG Highstar Capital II, a private equity fund sponsored by a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc.
The GT46C-ACe is a model of Australian diesel-electric locomotive designed and built between 2007–present by Downer Rail at its Cardiff Locomotive Workshops using Electro-Motive Diesel components until 2014, later units were built in Muncie, Indiana.
The GE Transportation C44aci is a model of Australian heavy duty diesel electric locomotive designed by UGL Rail and built at the Broadmeadow factory. It is operated by a number of rail freight operators. The design is based on the National Rail NR class but with some modifications and upgraded features.
Goonyella Riverside Mine is a large open cut coking coal mine in the Bowen Basin. It is one of many coal mines in Central Queensland, Australia and is located at Moranbah about 30 km north of the township. The mine produced 12.4 million tonnes of metallurgical coal from July 2012 to June 2013. It is owned by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance. The Goonyella Upper Seam, the Goonyella Middle Seam and the Goonyella Lower Seam are all mined at the site. The coal is well known for its great coking characteristics. Much of the coal was such a high grade, the wash plants were often programmed to add ash to meet the contracted export quality targets.
Evans Deakin & Company was an Australian engineering company and shipbuilder. In 2019, the company was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of its major contributions to the Queensland economy for nearly a century through excellence in heavy engineering, construction and ship building.
The GT42CU ACe is a model of diesel electric locomotives manufactured by EDi Rail, Maryborough between 2007 and 2013 under licence from Electro-Motive Diesel, for use on narrow gauge railways in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
÷Some of the more notable coal companies in Australia are the following:
The Rolleston Coal Mine is an open-cut coal mine located in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 600 million tonnes of thermal coal. The mine has an annual production capacity of 14 million tonnes run of mine coal. It is one of numerous coal mines in the Bowen Basin.
The Carmichael coal mine is a coal mine in Queensland, Australia which produced its first shipment of coal in December 2021.
The Bowen Basin Coalfields contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal. It was named for the Bowen River, itself named after Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Bowen.
Meandu Mine is a coal mine west of Yarraman in Neumgna, Queensland, Australia. The open-cut mine supplies coal to Tarong Power Station and Tarong North Power Station. It is owned by Stanwell Corporation and operated by Downer Mining.
Australia