Blackwater railway system

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Blackwater System, Queensland
Overview
Owner	Aurizon
Locale	Queensland, Australia
Termini	Callemondah (Gladstone) Gregory Mine
Website	http://www.aurizon.com.au/
Service
Type	Heavy Rail (Coal)
Operator(s)	Aurizon
Depot(s)	Callemondah
History
Opened	1967 (Kinrola branch)
Technical
Line length	1,111 km (690 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Narrow gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map Legend 0 North Coast Line 0 Rocklands 0 Bruce Hwy 1 Burnett Hwy 8 Gracemere 23 Stanwell 25 Stanwell Power Station 37 Wycarbah 45 Westwood 156m 46 Westwood 76 Tunnel 162m 93 Dawson River 103 Duaringa 141 Dingo 168 Capricorn Hwy 169 Bluff 180 Boonal 208m 189 Blackwater 12 Koorilgah 41 Laleham 192 Sagitarrius 0 Capricorn Hwy 12 Curragh 195 Rangal 9 Boorgoon 14 Kinrolla 106 Rolleston 202 Burngrove, Central West System to Emerald 0 Capricorn Hwy 10 Crew 16 Mackenzie River 23 Mackenzie 13 Ensham 36 Fairhill 52 Yan Yan 13 Gordonstone Kestral Mine) 62 To Oaky Creek & Goonyella System 66 Gregory Distance in km. Distance shown from beginning of branch line.

The Blackwater railway system is located in Central Queensland and services the coal mining area of the Bowen Basin. It carries coal, as well as products, to other destinations by way of connections to the North Coast Line at Rocklands and the Goonyella Line via Gregory coal mine to Oaky Creek. Together with the Moura line the two railway systems are known as the Capricornia Coal Chain.^[1]

The Blackwater system is narrow gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and electrified using 25 kV 50 Hz. The system is used by both electric and diesel locomotives.

The Blackwater system has the largest route length of the four coal systems and carries the second highest tonnages on the QR network, after the Goonyella system. It is located in Central Queensland, and services the Bowen Basin. Coal is carried to the two export terminals at the Port of Gladstone; RG Tanna Coal Terminal, and Wiggins Island Coal Terminal. The Blackwater system also services a number of domestic users including Gladstone Power Station, Stanwell Power Station, and QCL Fisherman's Landing.^[2]

The Blackwater Coal Chain services 15 mines, operated by BMA, Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Curragh, Ensham, Felix, and Jellinbah. Haulage is expected to progressively increase in the Blackwater system as haulage contracts, combined with enquiries from coal companies for additional haulage capacity (domestic and export), exceeds 80 Mpta by 2008–09.^[2]

The Blackwater system consists of 994 km of track, of which approximately 160 km is duplicated. 823 km of track is electrified. Callemondah and Bluff yards are used to provision train services. The system is operated from the Rockhampton Control Centre utilising two safe working systems - Remote Control Signalling (RCS) and Direct Traffic Control (DTC).