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Asciano (AIO) has announced today that it has executed a long term, take or pay contract with Macarthur Coal (MCC) for the haulage of coal exports by rail in Queensland commencing in the 2009/2010 Financial Year. The performance based contract is for a period of 9 years and provides Macarthur Coal with rail haulage capacity of up to 3.7 million tonnes per annum. 

Asciano Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Rowsthorn said, “This is another significant step in our strategy of securing market share in Queensland”. “Macarthur Coal has operations exclusively within Queensland and therefore it is particularly satisfying that they have shown such confidence in our abilities as the new operator in that State.  In a coal market that continues to be volatile in the short term, Macarthur Coal was looking for a rail operator who delivers on service”, Mr Rowsthorn said. 

In early April, Asciano commenced commissioning the first of their diesel powered coal trains for the Queensland coal fields.  Full size train operations in the Goonyella and the Blackwater systems are being conducted and early indications of train performance are encouraging. On 24 April, Siemens delivered at the Port of Brisbane the first of 23 AC traction Electric locomotives that Asciano will be deploying over the remainder of 2009 and in the first half of 2010. 

www.asciano.com