Rise of the machines Rio Tinto breaks new ground with AutoHaul

摘要

HISTORY was made on June 14 2019. Rio Tinto completed the transition to entirely automated operation of its 1500km railway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, becoming the first heavy-haul railway in the world to operate an automated network. Described by Rio Tinto as the world's largest robot, AutoHaul is operating up to 50 automated and unmanned trains at any one time. Each 240-wagon, 2.4km-long consist, requires two to three locomotives, which 2haul 28,000 tonnes of iron-ore from the company's 16 mines to the ports of Dampier and Cape Lambert on an average 800km, 40-hour journey.