Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto has announced a $371 million investment directed toward the automation of its iron ore railway in Pilbara, Western Australia.
Driverless trains are expected to be operating within five years on most of the 1,300 km of track that serves the Pilbara operations. Moreover, the investment program includes the introduction of 40 new-generation locomotives, extensive re-railing and a substantial reinvestment in rolling stock, including the purchase of 2,400 new ore cars over 18 months.
The roll-out of automation is part of a wider project to upgrade the rail network, which is in line with the company's goal of expanding iron ore production to 320 million mt in 2012.
As Rio Tinto's CE Tom Albanese has stated, this innovation will allow the company to deliver more tons, in order to faster meet the continuing surge in demand for iron ore from China and other emerging economies.
Moreover, according to Rio Tinto Iron Ore's CEO Sam Walsh, the current employee numbers will not be reduced by the automation of most rail operations.
At the moment Rio Tinto Iron Ore is working closely with the Western Australian Office of Rail Safety to ensure continued safety for automatic trains.
A typical loaded train on Rio Tinto's network weighs around 30,000 mt, is 2.4 km long and travels at speeds of up to 75 km per hour. On average, 320 train journeys travel across this network every week.