Making tracks into history: Developing the Carmichael Rail Network

From the first sleeper laid to the first train run, the development of the Carmichael Rail Network has been a historic achievement for Bravus Mining & Resources (formerly Adani Australia). The development of the project was the first greenfield railway on Australia’s east coast in more than a decade.

It was also a significant undertaking for the company and the region, as together they built their next-generation rail business, Bowen Rail Company (BRC)- from the ground up, in just two short years.

While it may provide a 200km rail link between the resource-rich Galilee Basin and the North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT), in reality, the Carmichael Rail Network (CRN) is Queensland coal’s latest link to the world.

Building a new rail line

When it kicked off in 2019, the task of building the CRN became one of Queensland’s most significant projects. The rail line was the critical link between the Carmichael Mine, 160kms northwest of Clermont, and the existing infrastructure connecting to NQXT, Australia’s northernmost coal terminal. The development of the approximately 200km of narrow-gauge line involved the laying of some 319,000 Rockhampton-made concrete sleepers and 26,417 tonnes of Australian-made steel rail.

The construction task required the installation of 25 bridge crossings (23 over waterways, two passing loops) and 460 culverts.

Bravus worked with local landowners and Traditional Owners on the railway route and were committed to minimising their environmental footprint, successfully rehabilitating operational areas postconstruction.

Keeping employment on track during COVID-19

At its peak, the Carmichael mine and rail project involved some 3,000 workers, with these roles supporting more than 9,000 indirect jobs in surrounding communities and industries.

With major construction commencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was an important source of jobs and contracting opportunities for regional Queensland workers and businesses when they were needed most.

Ensuring the health and safety of many hundreds of workers amid a pandemic was a challenge for the business, like for so many other companies, but strict measures to manage the risk were implemented to keep workers safe and the project on track. Operations and construction schedules were adapted to ensure work could continue, and initiatives like health screenings and outdoor exercise areas in workers’ camps were implemented to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Building and buying locally

Ensuring regional Queensland’s newest rail line was built by regional Queenslanders was a key priority for the business. This included sourcing the workforce from Rockhampton, Townsville and the local area around the mine and engaging local contractors like Stresscrete and Austrak from Rockhampton. Major contractors on the project, including Queensland-owned BMD, also sourced workers and sub-contractors from the broader project footprint.

In total, the Carmichael mine and rail project paid well over $1 billion to regional Queensland contractors and businesses during construction. The work has continued to flow into local communities. Bowen company, Hillery Group, contracted in August 2021 to deliver a $20 million new rail yard as part of Bowen Rail Company’s long-term operating plan, a project that supported 100 jobs. In April, Rockhampton business, Rhomberg Rail, won a $15 million contract to deliver preventative maintenance to the CRN and BRC Provisioning Yard, ensuring ongoing local work.

Passing the test

While the new rail line was in development, preparations simultaneously continued full steam ahead to deliver the new rollingstock required to support the freight business. In September 2021, the first of the new state-of-the-art locomotive fleet arrived in north Queensland.

The 10 new Progress Rail EMD® GT46C-ACe Gen III locomotives were built in the Caterpillar Company’s business in the USA and are the most technologically advanced locomotives to operate in Australia.

They feature cutting-edge safety technology that improves braking and ease of operating, making a safer working environment for the rail crew.The locomotives are also more fuel efficient, using 10% less fuel than the typical diesel trains operating in Australia.

The completion of major construction and the arrival of the new rollingstock triggered a critical period for the company with a thorough testing and commissioning process required before operations could commence.

The first shipment of coal was assembled at NQXT for export through the testing and commissioning process in December 2021 and the rail line achieved full operational accreditation in 2022, marking an important milestone for the business and the many thousands of workers who played a role in building it.

Building a regional rail industry

While there were many hours of physical work involved in constructing the new rail assets, there were, in parallel, many hours spent building the new rail business.

The launch of Bowen Rail Company in August 2020 marked the debut of the first new freight rail company to be established in Australia in more than a decade. The business is headquartered in Bowen, delivering on commitments to provide long-term economic benefits for the region while also tapping into the highly-skilled rail and resources expertise that resides across regional Queensland.

To date, BRC has achieved outstanding results in local recruitment, gender balance in operational roles, and the employment of First Nations People.

Given its unique position as a new entrant in the industry, BRC made a conscious decision to build a diverse train operator and operational workforce. One of the key goals was to balance the number of qualified train drivers and trainees. This ideal was to drive the development of the workforce, which is experiencing 4.9% employment growth to 2026, according to the Australian Industry Standards Rail Industry Outlook 2021.

BRC also sought to attract and retain young workers in the industry. This is a key challenge given the current employment rate for people younger than 30 years old is just 11%.

To date, Bowen Rail Company has achieved strong results in training. Of the 86 train drivers engaged, about 50 are qualified operators and, from August 2022 there are expected to be 36 trainees.

The focus on trainee development has also accelerated achievements in diversity and inclusion. In 2021, the first two rounds of BRC’s Trainee Driver Recruitment Program, conducted with Trojan Rail, achieved excellent results, with 50% female representation and 21 % First Nations People engagement.

The next round of the program is expected to further disrupt the industry gender imbalance with women to make up more than four out of five (83%) train driver trainees, while two out of five (42%) will be First Nations People. This will take the overall trainee engagement to three out of five women (61 %) and almost three out of 10 First Nations People (28%).

The Senior Leadership Team is another demonstration of BRC’s commitment to gender balance. Of the nine members of the senior leadership group, four are women. This highlights the progressive culture and hiring practices that are being championed. Those achievements have been recognised by industry, with BRC named a finalist in both the Diversity and Inclusion and Freight Rail and Heavy Haul categories at the 2022 Australasian Rail Industry Awards.

Through these and other opportunities, BRC is supporting the creation of what has become a new regional rail hub, proudly located in Bowen.

BRC is proud to be providing jobs and opportunities to regional Queenslanders now and for generations to come. 