Rio Tinto and the Cargo Train that Could ... Drive Itself
10/04/2017 - Iron ore miner Rio Tinto said it has executed Australia’s first-ever fully autonomous, heavy-haul train trip, with a driverless train successfully making a 100 km pilot run between Wombat Junction and Paraburdoo in Western Australia.
“This successful pilot run puts us firmly on track to meet our goal of operating the world’s first fully autonomous, heavy-haul, long-distance rail network, which will unlock significant safety and productivity benefits for the business,” said Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Chris Salisbury.
The company said the trip was completed safely and was closely monitored in realtime by Rio Tinto teams and government regulators.
The pilot trip is a part of Rio Tinto’s AutoHaul project, an effort to automate the trains that carry iron ore from its mines to its ports. It began making autonomous trips earlier this year, but with drivers aboard.
About half of its pooled fleet rail kilometers are made in autonomous mode. The company said the successful pilot trip is a significant step toward full commissioning of the AutoHaul project in 2018.
