Vossloh Tie Technologies says it has won its first major order in Australia for the delivery of concrete ties for Rio Tinto’s in-development Koodaideri iron ore project in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The production and supply of the ties will be performed by Vossloh’s Australian subsidiary, Austrak Pty Ltd, which was acquired in late-2018. The order encompasses approximately 280,000 concrete ties, expected to be delivered in 2020.

Koodaideri will include construction of an additional rail line to connect the new mine to Rio Tinto’s existing network. This is where Vossloh’s concrete crossties come in, providing improved track surface, alignment and gauge holding performance; strong, stable track structures to support high speed and heavy haul rail applications; smooth running surface to lower overall costs by increasing rail life and reducing locomotive fuel consumption; and longer lifecycles by providing exceptional durability and resistance to weathering and corrosion, according to the company.

Production at the $2.6 billion Phase 1 Koodaideri project is planned to start in late 2021, before ramping up to the nameplate 43 Mt/y capacity.

Austrak will perform the deliveries from a factory in Western Australia, which will also serve as a production site for further upcoming mining projects in the Pilbara region, Vossloh said. This will provide the potential to offer further growth opportunities for the company in Australia.

Andreas Busemann, Chief Executive Officer of Vossloh AG, said: “We are excited to see that our recent acquisition Austrak succeeded in this tender, contributing substantial value to Vossloh shortly after acquisition. This perfectly underlines the company’s strong position in Australia’s concrete tie market and once again confirms Vossloh’s outlook for the 2020 fiscal year, seeing an increase in sales and profitability.”