The GAP 50 Rail Project, which runs from Abbot Point to Bogie River in the northern Bowen Basin, Queensland, forms part of the Goonyella to Abbot Point (GAP) Expansion Project.

The upgrade was designed to boost the system’s capacity to handle increased traffic generated by the on-going growth in coal exports from the Bowen Basin region. The system maintains and services selected trains from both the Goonyella and Newlands coal systems.

Working as part of the Coal Stream Alliance (CSA), comprising Aurecon Hatch, QR National, Macmahon, MVM Rail and Parsons Brinckerhoff, the Aurecon Hatch Joint Venture was engaged to deliver a staged construction of the project to meet the predicted increase in export demand for coal through the Abbot Point port.

The upgrade was undertaken in two phases, with the CSA delivering the total scope of the Abbot Point to Bogie River section of the project, from detailed engineering to construction and commissioning of all civil works, while QR National provided all track, signalling and communication design and construction.

The development included:

• An extra loop and holding roads at the port
• Duplicated track and new bridge construction between the port and the Pring Rail yard
• Pring Yard upgrade with new holding roads and yard lighting to allow for increased rolling stock needed to handle the anticipated growth in coal production
• Track formation renewals, track slewing, bypass loops, crossovers and a new bridge between the yard and Bogie River

The civil works were successfully installed on time and within budget and increased the system’s coal handling capacity to 50 Mtpa.