(EnergyAsia, August 7 2012, Tuesday) — Australian freight operator QR National said it has signed a new long-term contract with miner Cockatoo Coal Ltd to transport from its Baralaba and Wonbindi mines.

Under the 10-year contract, QR National will deliver an additional three million tonnes of coal a year to the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) from 2014 while extending an existing contract for 500,000 million tonnes/year through RG Tanna in Gladstone in Queensland state.

This is the third rail haulage contract secured by QR National into the under-construction WICET due to start up in 2014.

Paul Scurrah, QR National’s Executive Vice President (Commercial and Marketing), said:

“We are pleased to grow our relationship with Cockatoo Coal and look forward to working together to deliver our joint growth objectives.”

As Australia’s largest rail freight company with services operating across five states, the company transported more than 240 million tonnes of freight including coal, iron ore, other minerals, agricultural products and general freight in FY2010. It also operates and manages the 2,600-km Central Queensland network that links coal mines to ports at Bowen, Mackay and Gladstone.