<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Aurizon hauled its equal record volume of coal in the September quarter, moving 53.5mt of the stuff over the three-month period to open the 2013/14 financial year. </span> <p>The haulage volume matched the record set in the September quarter of 2010, and was a 15.1% increase on the September quarter of 2012, when 46.5mt of coal was hauled.</p><p>Of the 53.5mt hauled over the July-September period this year, 43.8mt was hauled in Queensland – up from 37.3mt of coal hauled in the Sunshine State by the company in the same quarter last year.</p><p>NSW volumes rose less rapidly, up from 9.2mt in September quarter 2012 to 9.7mt in the September quarter this year.</p><p>Aurizon’s net tonne kilometer (NTK) growth for coal haulage also rose quite significantly.</p><p>The company logged 12.4bn NTKs in the period, up 19.2% from the September quarter last year.</p><p>The bulk of that NTK growth was also in Queensland, where the figure rose from 9bn NTKs in September quarter 2012, to 10.9bn NTKs in this year’s corresponding period.</p><p>NSW growth was in line with volume growth, rising from 1.4bn NTKs to 1.5bn NTKs.</p><p>Despite the strong quarter to open this financial year, Aurizon was restrained in its guidance figures for the full 12-month period.</p><p>“Despite the strong performance in the quarter, guidance for FY2014 remains 200-205mt due to the impact from the loss of Rio Tinto’s Hail Creek contract (ends 31 October 2013) and potential disruptions from the oncoming wet season based on the latest long range forecasts,” an Aurizon statement to the ASX read.</p><p>Aurizon’s smaller business in iron ore haulage saw quite healthy growth year-on-year, as well.</p><p>The company hauled 7.2mt of iron ore for a total of 3.0 NTKs in the September quarter of 2013. Those figures were up from 4.6mt of iron ore and 2.2NTKs recorded in the corresponding 2012 period.</p>
