Regulator says safety systems appear to have worked properly after 30 cars of Rio Tinto train derailed
KARRATHA, Australia — Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has begun an investigation after 30 cars of one of its autonomous iron ore trains derailed Saturday.
National broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator had been notified. The ONRSR told the Australian Associated Press that initial indications were that onboard safety systems worked properly, but “the incident will be the subject of further regulatory activities.”
A Rio Tinto representative told ABC that the loaded train was headed to the Port of Dampier when the derailment occurred. No one was injured. The representative said
Rio Tinto began operating the autonomous trains — with two to three locomotives and 240 cars carrying about 28,000 metric tons of iron ore — in 2019. The trains travel from 16 mines to Dampier or Cape Lambert, averaging 40 hours for a 500-mile trip.
Karratha, in Western Australia’s remote Pilbara region, is adjacent to the Port of Dampier. Perth, the nearest major city, is a 16-hour drive to the south.