Adani Group‘s ambitious Bowen Rail Company (BRC) was a finalist in Diversity and Inclusion and the Freight Rail & Heavy Haul categories at the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Industry Awards held in Melbourne.
This 200km railway project was built at the cost of $62 million near Bowen in North Queensland and employed more than 300 people as part of the construction of the Carmichael Rail Network under the banner of Bravus Mining and Resources’ Carmichael Project.
According to Bravus Mining, the construction of the Carmichael Mine and Rail Projects “have already delivered more than $1.5 billion in contracts and 2,600 jobs to benefit regional Queensland.”
BRC’s diesel freight locomotives are cutting-edge and developed in partnership with Caterpillar Company’s Progress Rail business in the USA.
Brendan Lane, Bowen Rail General Manager, said in a statement that BRC was “a shining example of the capability of regional contractors and how BRC was delivering on its promises of jobs and contracts for locals.”
Kate Campbell, Head of Communications and Community for Adani Australia, notes that many people termed it as Adani’s “fantasy project that would never be financed, built or profitable.”
Campbell adds in her LinkedIn post that the recent recognition for Diversity and Inclusion acknowledges Adani business’ “efforts to challenge entrenched gender imbalance within the rail industry through practical recruitment and training programs.”
In the BRC, she observes, nearly half of the senior leadership team comprises of women, two in five new train driver trainees are First Nations people, and employees proudly come from a range of diverse backgrounds.
Campbells adds that “the Freight Rail & Heavy Haul nomination recognized BRC’s extraordinary achievements in finalising the construction, testing and commissioning, and Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator accreditation of the 200km Carmichael Rail Network.” She adds:
“It is a testament to the hard work of the Bowen Rail Company team under the leadership of General Manager Brendan Lane that they have made Adani’s vision a reality and could stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers at the Australian rail industry’s night of nights!”
Recently, BRC ran its 500th train carrying thermal coal from Bravus Mining & Resources’ Carmichael Mine to the North Queensland Export Terminal at Abbot Point for export.
India’s Central Electricity Authority has also observed that an additional 28 gigawatts of new coal-fired thermal power stations will be needed by 2032 on top of the 25 gigawatts of capacity already under construction.
The ARI Awards is a platform for individual and company achievements in the rail industry to be recognised and celebrated. These awards promote diversity, excellence, and innovation for the betterment of rail in Australia.
Proceeds from the ARI Awards go to the TrackSAFE Foundation, a registered harm prevention charity established by the industry to reduce near collisions, injuries, and fatalities on the rail network from suicide and reckless behaviour.
Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri Rail Project won the Heavy Haul and Rail Freight Excellence Award and the Engineering Pathways Industry Cadetship that helps connect alliances delivering the Level Crossing Removal Project with qualified refugees and asylum seekers won the Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award.
