RANBURY HELPS BMA ALLIANCE GAIN RAIL TRANSPORT OPERATOR ACCREDITATION

Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) made a strategic decision to establish a rail operations company for the delivery of coal from new BMA mines at Caval Ridge and Daunia to the BMA export terminal at Hay Point.

We were the project lead for BMA in terms of conceptual Supply Chain Planning and Operations Planning. This included planning to achieve accreditation as a Rail Transport Operator (RTO).

We undertook the initial development of a Rail Safety Management System (RSMS) that resulted in the granting of conditional accreditation of BMA as an RTO.

To achieve this, we developed a suite of policies, standards and procedures that addressed key elements of (what is now) the Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) and Australian Standard AS4292.

We guided BMA through the risk identification and assessment process, derived standards and procedures from the risk assessment, and established the links between the proposed standards and procedures and the management of risk.

We also:

• Developed a pre-feasibility report outlining the operational parameters and commercial benefits for approval of BMA through its investment approval process
• Developed operating plans to define the ‘freight task’ from mine load-out to export terminal
• Evaluated and established rollingstock requirements (electric locomotives, wagons, and support facilities – including provisioning and maintenance facilities for 4 x 124 wagon consists with a haulage capacity of 10,000 tonnes per consist)
• Negotiated rollingstock acquisition and maintenance contracts with suppliers
• Evaluated and determined crew and other human resource requirements (including crew amenities, training, and administration requirements)

Our project work was completed on time and within budget to meet BMA’s rail haulage requirements to commence haulage for its new mines at Daunia and Caval Ridge.