QR National recently signalled its long-term commitment to the Hunter Valley by announcing plans for a modern train support facility at Hexham near the Port of Newcastle.
At an estimated capital cost of up to $100 million, the proposed facility would support the company’s growing New South Wales coal haulage business and alleviate capacity pressures in the Hunter Valley coal supply chain.
The facility would consolidate ad-hoc maintenance and re-fuelling activities currently used by QR National.
This will benefit the community by significantly reducing shunting and provisioning activities in and around Koorangang Island.
QR National is now working through required regulatory and environment approvals for the proposal with the New South Wales government and other relevant stakeholders. It has also briefed key stakeholders such as local state members and Infrastructure NSW.
The project is supported by the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Co-ordinator, which advocates relocating train servicing and fuelling facilities away from Kooragang Island at the Port of Newcastle, to improve the efficiency of the coal chain.
QR National’s Senior Vice President Service Delivery Coal Markets Ed McKeiver said the company had already invested several million dollars in project establishment costs and anticipated moving into detailed design by mid-2012.
