The use of automation to improve operational efficiency, safety and sustainability is rapidly changing the industrial landscape and impacting workforce skillsets in Oceania.

Technology from Hitachi Group company Hitachi Rail STS has enabled Rio Tinto to achieve a global first in freight rail automation – the creation of the first automated heavy-haul long distance rail network.

Launched in 2018, Rio Tinto’s AutoHaul® program enables trains to travel to and from 16 mines and four port terminals, autonomously.

Each autonomous train comprises three locomotives fitted with AutoHaul® technology to support autonomous operation, and some 240 ore cars. These 2.5km long robots can now travel the return distance of 800km across the often remote and inhospitable terrain without a driver on board.

Technology designed and developed by Hitachi Rail STS enables each train journey to be monitored continuously from a central operations centre some 1,000km away.

AutoHaul® is the result of a multi-year collaboration between Rio Tinto and Hitachi Rail STS which began in 2006 when Rio Tinto contracted Hitachi Rail STS to develop a concept design for driverless train operation on a section of its Pilbara railway line.

Over the following years constant development, testing and trialling was conducted, and in 2010 Hitachi Rail STS signed an agreement with Rio Tinto to provide the complete signalling, communications, train control, supervision and automation system upgrades needed to support full autonomous operation of the mining rail network, and ultimately make AutoHaul® a reality.

https://social-innovation.hitachi/en-au/about/our-social-innovators/AutoHaul-train/?WT.mc_id=19AuEnAu-Nativetile_Zemanta_AutoHaul