Derailment plays havoc with Newcastle coal exports

By Sam Collyer and Jennifer Perry

A spokesperson for terminal operator Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) told Rail Express that coal loading resumed at the port on Monday night, with ships starting to come in at dawn Tuesday, after the affected track reopened in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
"It will take a few days for coal loading to get back to a routine stage as stocks are gradually built up," the spokesperson said.
Temporary speed restrictions on the track mean that currently, just one train per hour is operating on the main line between Whittingham and Singleton and on the branch line between Minimbah to Saxonvale Junction.
About 260,000 tonnes of coal is delivered to the port of Newcastle on average each day, however latest information from the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator showed the port had received 191,000 tonnes of coal in the last 24 hours, up from just 65,000 tonnes this time yesterday.
The coal chain is operating at about 76% of its capacity.
PWCS said the disruption would wipe about 419,000 tonnes of export volumes from the port's projected throughput figures.
Separate scheduled maintenance work at the port and along the tracks will cut a further 151,000 tonnes of capacity.
The combined loss of 570,000 tonnes is the equivalent of closing the port for two days.
There are now 56 ships queued off the coast of the port, with 819,000 tonnes of coal stockpiled.

Source: Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au