Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has announced that it will invest US$518 million in driverless trains for its Pilbara iron ore rail network in Western Australia. With this investment, Rio Tinto will operate the world's first automated long-distance heavy-haul rail network.
The automated train project will be controlled in Perth, 1,500 km away from Rio Tinto's Pilbara iron ore mines. The first driverless train will be launched in 2014, with the automated train program scheduled to be completed a year later.
New driverless trains will improve productivity, provide more efficient fuel use, resulting in lower energy costs and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for each metric ton of iron ore produced.
The expansion of automated rail operations is subject to a number of state government and other approvals.