KARRATHA in Western Australia’s Pilbara is set to become an iron ore railcar manufacturing centre.
The State Government has made a multimillion-dollar investment in two major rail projects, CORE Innovation Hub’s new Rail Collaboration Centre and Gemco’s new iron ore railcar manufacturing facility in Karratha to open later this year.
The two projects have been awarded nearly $8 million through the Local Manufacturing Investment Fund (LMIF).
Opening the CORE Innovation Hub’s Rail Collaboration Centre (RCC), Minister Assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Stephen Dawson, said the centre would provide a platform to undertake world-class testing, research and development in supporting iron ore railcar manufacturing.
The funding towards both projects will establish an iron ore railcar manufacturing production line and a centre of excellence in Karratha.
CORE received funding of almost $1 million under the LMIF to help boost the design, manufacture, decarbonisation, and employment training opportunities in WA with the establishment of the new centre in Karratha and hubs located in Newman and Perth which have been established with strong support from Rio Tinto.
Minister Dawson said the centre fills a strategic gap as an innovative and collaborative platform to assess the development of new rolling stock, infrastructure, technology and ideas.
Gemco Rail was awarded almost $7 million under the LMIF to establish an iron ore railcar manufacturing facility in Karratha to manufacture 100 wagons for Rio Tinto as well as repairing and refurbishing key wagon componentry.
The Karratha facility will enable the WA-based company to undertake both the manufacture of iron ore railcar wagons and the refurbishment of rail bearings for Pilbara-based miners.
“Our resources sector relies heavily on railcars, and it makes perfect sense to invest in developing a local industry that will manufacture, test and conduct research on delivering a state-of-the-art iron ore railcar,” Minister Dawson said.
