Today marks the final haulage of coal railed from Leigh Creek coal mine to Port Augusta Power Stations, ahead of the closure of Flinders Operations on 9 May 2016.
Owned and operated by Pacific National since February 1999, the train has hauled on average three million tonnes of coal from Leigh Creek per annum along the Leigh Creek Railway. With an average length of 2.95km, the train comprises of three locomotives, 168 coal wagons and one compressor wagon. The railway line extends a length of 250km, with the train taking approximately six hours to travel between Leigh Creek and Port Augusta at a maximum loaded speed of 70km per hour.
Alinta Energy CEO, Jeff Dimery said “Today marks an important milestone for our employees and the local community as we prepare for the closure of Flinders Operations next month. The presence of the coal train has been a familiar sight for many in the local region, and it was important that the final railing of coal be shared with the wider community.”
“I would like to thank Pacific National for their longstanding rail freight partnership with Flinders Operations.”
To mark the milestone members of the Port Augusta City Council and the local community have been invited to view the final passing of the train at approximately 11:00am at the pedestrian crossing Bowman Road Stirling North SA.