TasRail has been selected by Australian Bauxite Limited as the preferred provider of land transport services for the proposed Bald Hill project.
TasRail secured this new business opportunity, following an exhaustive tender and selection process.
Contractual and operational details are expected to be finalised before the end of the year but will see TasRail operate up to six new rail services between Conara and Bell Bay each week. The bauxite will be hauled in covered bulk containers utilising the existing intermodal wagon fleet.  

TasRail Chief Executive Officer Damien White said TasRail had worked hard to develop a sustainable freight transport solution to support the new bauxite mine.
“Winning this new business demonstrates TasRail’s growing capability to deliver innovative freight and logistics solution for industry”, he said.  Since TasRail was established we’ve been able to vastly improve the condition of the rail network and replace its inherited, aged rollingstock fleet. TasRail is rightfully focused on adding value to new and existing customers and to restoring rail’s rightful place as an enabler of new economic development in Tasmania”. 
“In the case of Australian Bauxite Limited, TasRail was able to design a logistics supply chain proposal for the Bald Hill project that is safe, reliable and efficient” he said. “Importantly, we’ve worked hard with the proponents to ensure that our service offering is competitive and integrated with the customer’s operations”. 
By utilising the existing rail network between Conara and Bell Bay for the transport of bauxite (for onward export) TasRail estimates that it has removed the need for at least 250 additional truck movements per week (13,000 per year) on the Midlands and East Tamar Highways and through the Launceston CBD.
TasRail expects the first freight rail services to be operating for Australian Bauxite Limited early in Quarter One, 2015.