QR National has signed a new coal-haulage contract with Aquila Resources to the new Wiggins Island Coal Terminal.
The 10-year contract will see up to 1.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) hauled from Aquila’s Washpool mine in Central Queensland to the new terminal at the Port of Gladstone.
The contract with QR National provides transport for 100% of Washpool Coal’s output.
QR National Executive Vice President and CEO Coal Operations Marcus McAuliffe said the company was focussed on performance-based contracts that were underpinned by reliability, certainty of haulage supply and safety.
“We share with Aquila an appetite for growth and the desire for long-term relationships based on performance,” Mr McAuliffe said.
“QR National is absolutely committed to delivering reliable and safe operations and we know this is important to our customers too.
“In New South Wales and Queensland, QR National Coal has proven that we can meet customer’s current needs and grow capacity to match their growing operations.”
In September, Aquila Resources became a signatory to the Wiggins Island Rail Project, which will be delivered by QR National’s wholly owned subsidiary QR National Network Pty Ltd.
The Wiggins Island Rail Project will align with the time frames for the new coal export terminal and the development of related mining projects.
QR National is Australia's largest rail freight company with services operating across five states. In 2010/11, QR National transported more than 240 million tonnes of freight, including coal, iron ore, other minerals, agricultural products and general freight. It also operates and manages the 2300 kilometre Central Queensland coal network that links mines to coal ports at Bowen, Mackay and Gladstone.