QR National is on target to meet delivery timeframes for the Wiggins Island Rail Project (WIRP) in Central Queensland with early works commencing across project site locations, the freight operator said.
WIRP involves the staged development of new rail lines and upgrading of existing lines to service the new Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) at the Port of Gladstone.
QR National Network Executive Vice President Michael Carter said the project would create a vital link between WICET and the mines in central Queensland.
“This project is one of the largest rail expansions in Australia. It follows closely on the heels of QR National’s recently-opened Northern Missing Link which is part of $1.1 billion Goonyella to Abbot Point expansion,” he said.
“The project will support the initial 27 million tonnes per annum of coal to WICET and leverage our existing rail infrastructure to boost coal exports from the southern end of the Bowen Basin by 30%.”
Work for Stage One of WIRP will take place across three key worksites — the Balloon Loop, Rocklands to Stanwell Duplication and Moura East — from March when major civil construction contracts are awarded.
