BHP opts for longer, heavier trains

Rail operations are getting an overhaul as BHP Billiton Iron Ore drives to gain more productivity out of its assets, but the company says increased speed, and autonomous operations are still a way off.

BHP general manger rail operations Matthew Dowd said the main changes that would help the company reach its goal of exporting 290 million tonnes per annum out of the inner harbour would involve "longer, heavier trains" and decreasing speed restrictions along tracks. "We could (look into increasing the speed of the trains)," he said.

"I don't think we have to, though.

"Certainly in the near term our focus is how do we lift the average speed, which is, essentially by taking… delays out of the cycle time."

Mr Dowd said moves toward using gas instead of diesel as a fuel source and using unmanned trains were also still some way off.

"We've run some autonomous trials in the port, so sort of from a certain section of the track unmanned into the dumper and we're confident we've got a lead on that technology," he said.

"We continue to study autonomous options more broadly in rail, but the reality is for us our focus is very much on this longer, heavier piece over the next sort of year."