WATCH: Freight and passenger services have resumed on the Mount Isa rail line in north-west Queensland, after a train carrying 817,000 litres of acid derailed last month.
“Constructing this deviation has been our number one priority,” Queensland Rail regional asset manager west Brett Leo said on Tuesday.
“Two shifts have worked tirelessly around the clock to construct the deviation. We’ve used around 4,000 tonnes of rock, 2,000 tonnes of road base, around 900 sleepers, a thousand metres of rail and around 2,000 cubic metres of ballast.
“The deviation is now operating safely and efficiently.”
Queensland Rail shared video of the first freight train going through the deviation at around 6pm on Tuesday, January 12:
The first passenger train is expected to pass through the deviation at some point on Thursday.
The Mount Isa line was shut after an Aurizon locomotive and all 26 of its wagons derailed near Julia Creek at around 10.20am on December 27, 2015.
Police reported that one of the train’s wagons had ruptured, leaking roughly 31,500 litres of sulfuric acid, some of which reached the nearby Horse Creek and contaminated it, according to Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage.
Fortunately no serious injuries were reported following the derailment.
Workers treated the acid spill with limestone powder, which was placed in the river and on the surrounding landscape to neutralise the strong industrial acid.
Meanwhile the rail deviation was constructed around the derailment site, so services could resume while wagon and locomotive recovery work takes place in coming weeks.
“Following the completion of the rail deviation, freight trains resumed on the Mount Isa line,” Queensland Rail said. “Queensland Rail recognises the importance of the Mount Isa line to the local economy, particularly in shipping freight to the Port of Townsville, and will continue to work closely with freight companies to accommodate additional freight movements on the Mount Isa line where possible.
“We are confident we can complete any additional movements before the end of this financial year.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has opened an investigation into the derailment, which has not yet been explained by Aurizon or Queensland Rail.
Aurizon is working with Incitec Pivot to recover the train and wagons from the site.