Transport safety authorities in Australia are investigating the circumstances under which a loaded iron-ore train operated by BHP had to be deliberately derailed early on November 5 after the train had travelled for 92 kilometers across the Pilbara in Western Australia without a driver, according to an official rail safety investigation & report released by Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on the same day.

According to the ATSB report, the driver of a loaded ore train – consisting of four locomotives and 268 wagons and travelling from Newman mine to Port Hedland – had stopped the train at around 4:40 am at the 211 km point (near Hester sidling) and “alighted from the locomotive to inspect an issue with a wagon”. 

However, after that, the train commenced to runaway, travelling for 92 km until around 5:00 am, with the driver outside and no one on board. BHP stopped the train by deliberately derailing it at a set of points operated by the control center, some 119 km from Port Hedland (near Turner siding). No one was injured. The ATSB is conducting investigation on the incident and expects to report by Q2 next year.

As of 6pm Monday, BHP had made no official announcement on its website. But according to a Shanghai-based iron ore trader, BHP confirmed that no one had been injured, and that the company is working with the authorities to investigate the situation and to assess its impact. No further details were disclosed.

BHP’s iron ore output grew 8% on year to 69.3 million wet tonnes of iron ore (on a 100% basis) over the July-September quarter from its core mining operations in Pilbara, according to its latest quarterly report released on October 17.

On November 5, Mysteel’s 62% seaborne Australian fines price index reversed up $0.95/dmt on day to $74.95/dmt CFR Qingdao.

Written by Victoria Zou, zyongjia@mysteel.com
Edited by Russ McCulloch, russ.mcculloch@mysteel.com