Aurizon

Aurizon Holdings Limited
FormerlyQR National Limited
Company typeGovernment-owned company then
publicly traded company
ASX: AZJ
IndustryRail transport
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Headquarters
Brisbane
,
Australia
Area served
Key people
  • Chairman: Tim Poole
  • CEO: Andrew Harding
ProductsCoal, bulk, and containerised freight
ServicesLogistics, supply chain management, line haul, and terminal operations
RevenueA$3.179 billion (June 2018)
Number of employees
4,883 (2020)[1]
DivisionsNetwork, Coal, Bulk, Intermodal (pre 2018)
Websiteaurizon.com.au

Aurizon Holdings Limited (/əˈraɪzən/ ə-RY-zən)[2][3] is a freight rail transport company in Australia, formerly named QR National Limited and branded QR National. In 2015, it was the world's largest rail transporter of coal from mine to port.[4] Formerly a Queensland Government-owned company, it was privatised and floated on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in November 2010.[5] The company was originally established in 2004–05 when the coal, bulk, and container transport divisions from Queensland Rail were brought under one banner as QR National.

In 2019, the company operated in five Australian states; on an average day it moved more than 700,000 metric tons (690,000 long tons) of coal, iron ore, other minerals, agricultural products and general freight – equating to more than 250 million tonnes annually. Aurizon also managed the 2670 kilometres (1660 miles) Central Queensland coal network that links mines to coal ports at Bowen, Gladstone and Mackay; it was the largest haulier of iron ore outside the Pilbara.[6]

In 2021, a major corporate change was foreshadowed when Aurizon sought to acquire rail operator One Rail Australia. The corporate regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, approved the sale subject to One Rail Australia's coal-haulage business in New South Wales and Queensland being divested.[7] Aurizon's purchase of One Rail Australia's assets not subject to divestiture occurred in July 2022.[8] Divestiture of the remaining assets occurred on sale to Magnetic Rail Group on 17 February 2023.[9]

The company in 2023 was Australia's largest rail-based transport business, transporting more than 250 million tonnes (246 million long tons) of commodities per year.[10]

  1. ^ "AZJ.AX". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Aurizon - 5 years since IPO". Aurizon. 4 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Inclusion at Aurizon". Aurizon. 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. ^ Savelsbergh, Martin; Waterer, Hamish; Dall, Matthew; Moffiet, Chad (March 2015). "Possession assessment and capacity evaluation of the Central Queensland Coal Network". EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics. 4 (1): 139–173. doi:10.1007/s13676-014-0066-0. hdl:1959.13/1330316. S2CID 53231608.
  5. ^ "AZJ share price and company information for ASX:AZJ". Australian Securities Exchange. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Wiggins Island Rail Project – Moura West upgrade" (PDF). Wiggins Island Rail Project. June 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Aurizon's proposed acquisition of One Rail not opposed, subject to divestiture". Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  8. ^ "About us". One Rail Australia. 2022. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. ^ Wenck, David (20 February 2023). "Divestment of East Coast Rail" (PDF). ASX. Australian Securities Exchange. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Aurizon launches east coast container services". Aurizon. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.