Rio Tinto is averaging 34 autonomous trains every day on its Pilbara network, and AutoHaul trains now make up 45 percent of daily rail kilometres for the miner’s iron ore operations.
Rio revealed the figures in its September quarterly report, released on October 16.
“The automation of the Pilbara train system (AutoHaul) is in ramp-up, with a steady increase in the number of trains in autonomous mode over the third quarter,” the miner told the ASX.
“Autonomous mode operations have increased to an average of 34 trains per day, equating to 290,000 kilometres (or 45 percent of daily kilometres) completed in this mode.”
The ramp-up is significant, considering the first AutoHaul train ran in mid-July.
Rio said it expects to fully implement the AutoHaul program by the end of 2018.
The mining company’s Pilbara iron ore operation produced 82.5 million tonnes in the third quarter, down 3 percent year-on-year and 3 percent compared to quarter two.
Rio said the production dip was due to “planned maintenance cycles,” as well as safety pauses across the entire operation after a truck operator was fatally injured at the Paraburdoo mine on August 15.