Australia's 1,000km Mount Isa-Townsville rail line is expected to reopen on 29 April, which will restore the haulage of base metal concentrates and fertilizers that have been affected since early February when heavy rain caused flooding along the rail route and derailed a train carrying metal concentrates.
Final works to be completed over the next week include ballast train drops and resurfacing, while final inspections and test trains have run the line prior to the track reopening, said state-owned rail network operator Queensland Rail.
"Queensland Rail expects to reopen the full length of the 1,000km Mount Isa line from Monday, 29 April," said Queensland Rail chief executive officer Nick Easy. The planned reopening date is within the guidance of between late April and mid-May provided by Queensland Rail.
Haulage on the rail line had been halted following heavy rainfall during early February in the Julia Creek area, which is about 250km east of the Mount Isa mine owned by Switzerland-based miner and commodities trader Glencore.
The heavy rainfall caused an 81-railcar train carrying lead and zinc concentrates and copper anodes from the Mount Isa mine to derail at Nelia, near Julia Creek. The derailment has halted haulage of base metal concentrates and fertilizers on the rail line since 7 February. The derailment has also affected haulage from Phosphate Hill plant near Mount Isa. Phosphate Hill is operated by Australian fertilizer producer Incitec Pivot.
More than 200 sites across 300km of the rail line required repairs, where there was significant flooding, washouts and erosion, said Queensland state transport minister Mark Bailey.
