The Adelaide to Darwin railway received a boost today with the signing of a new deal to carry 600,000 tonnes of manganese a year.

Rail operator FreightLink said it had signed a five year contract to transport the manganese from the Bootu Creek mine, near Tennant Creek, to Darwin.

The manganese would then be shipped to China, to be used in the production of steel.

FreightLink chairman Malcolm Kinnaird said the deal was the first of many the company hoped to secure with other miners in the NT and South Australia.

"We hope that other companies will see the benefits of bulk products being exported through the Port of Darwin," Mr Kinnaird said.

An extra four trains each week will transport manganese from the mine, 160 km north of Tennant Creek.

The Bootu Creek Manganese project is a joint venture between OM Holdings and Groote Eylandt Mining Company.

AA/News Interactive