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Benefits
The Surat Basin Rail can bring a number of benefits to business, industry and community.
- Create employment opportunities for local communities in construction, mining, rail and support industries.
- Deliver a transport solution enabling approximately four billion tonnes of coal reserves in the Surat Basin to become a viable economic resource.
- Provide an open-access railway, with sufficient capacity for other users with appropriate commercial arrangements.
- Contribute greatly to the economic development of regional Australia and support the continued growth of Australia's largest export industry - coal.
- Deliver environmentally friendlier means of transport for coal and other freight.
Planning is continuing for an open-access, multi-use rail link that aims to facilitate the export of coal and freight through to the Port of Gladstone ("Project").
The Project will significantly enhance the existing rail transport network and improve opportunities to develop the coal rich Surat Basin.
Proposed as a major new 210km railway, the Project will connect the Western Railway System near Wandoan with the Moura Railway System, near Banana.
The Surat Basin Rail Joint Venture is investigating the economic feasibility of developing the rail link with the intention of bringing the Project to financial close in accordance with the terms and conditions of the NCEM.
The Surat Basin Railway Joint Venture comprises the Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Pty Ltd (ATEC), Xstrata Coal and QR.
The preferred alignment - View larger map