Rio Tinto granted accreditation for AutoHaul
(Posted on 24/05/18)
Rio Tinto has been granted accreditation by Australia’s Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator approving the autonomous operation of trains at the group’s iron ore business in Western Australia.
The AutoHaul project continues to progress and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2018. Rio Tinto will take a phased approach to deploying autonomous trains across the network in the lead up to full commissioning.
Once commissioned, the network will be the world’s first heavy haul, long distance autonomous rail operation, unlocking significant safety and productivity benefits for the business.
Rio Tinto’s Pilbara shipments guidance for 2018 remains between 330 and 340m tonnes (100 per cent basis). This is subject to market conditions and any weather constraints.
The AutoHaul project is focused on automating trains transporting iron ore to Rio Tinto’s port facilities in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Trains started running in autonomous mode with a driver on-board monitoring operations in the first quarter of 2017.
At the end of the first quarter of 2018, approximately 65 per cent of all train kilometres were completed in autonomous mode. More than 3 million kilometres have now been completed in this mode.
Rio Tinto operates about 200 locomotives on more than 1,700 kilometres of track in the Pilbara, transporting ore from 16 mines to four port terminals.
Latest News
Pilbara production record as Rio Tinto releases Q2 results
(Posted on 16/07/26)Rio Tinto has driven performance to achieve 3% YoY CuEq1 growth in the first half of 2026.Chief Executive... Read more
Record iron ore production helps strengthen BHP growth pipeline
(Posted on 16/07/26)BHP have released its Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2026.Chief Executive Officer, Brandon... Read more
Stranded sulphur cargoes in Gulf face mounting corrosion risk, warns Brookes Bell
(Posted on 07/07/26)Bulk carriers carrying elemental sulphur cargoes in the Strait of Hormuz are at significant risk of... Read more
BHP and Faraday Copper sign definitive San Manuel agreement
(Posted on 06/07/26)Further to BHP’s announcement in February, BHP, through a wholly owned subsidiary, has executed... Read more
Urea price dive hits Australian grain suppliers
(Posted on 03/07/26)Australia’s Federal Government's fertiliser support package has come under scrutiny as global... Read more
SSAB pauses work at construction site in Luleå
(Posted on 30/06/26)SSAB has once again paused work at the construction site for its new steel mill in Luleå, Sweden... Read more
Trafigura issues USD500 million senior bond
(Posted on 29/06/26)Trafigura Group Pte Ltd. has announced the issuance of a USD500 million senior Reg S bond with a five... Read more
NGFA welcomes Senate Farm Bill proposal
(Posted on 29/06/26)The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA has welcomed the release of Senate Agriculture... Read more
Agreement paves way to deliver 2.7 million tonnes of additional copper production
(Posted on 25/06/26)Anglo American plc, through its 50.1%-owned subsidiary, Anglo American Sur S.A., and Codelco, have announced... Read more
SSAB and partners launch closed loop steel recycling initiative in US
(Posted on 24/06/26)SSAB Americas, The Greenbrier Companies and Alter Trading are partnering on a circular economy project... Read more
