Australian miner Rio Tinto and the Pacific National coal haulage business of Asciano, Australia's largest rail freight and ports operator, has entered into a 10-year performance-based contract for coal haulage from one of Rio Tinto's central Queensland mines. Asciano will move 8 million mt per year of coking coal from the Hail Creek mine and 0.5 million mt per year from the Kestrel mine.
Under this contract to be valid as of November 1, 2013, coal will be transported to Dalrymple Bay coal terminal at the Port of Hay Point via the electric Goonyella rail system
Asciano stated that this contract increases its annualized contracted coal tonnage to 178 million mt in 2014.