Western Australia
In Western Australia ARG operate over 5,100km of standard and narrow gauge track and carries in the vicinity of 40 million tonnes of intrastate bulk freight annually, equating to 40,000 train starts.
The network, as provided by WestNet Rail has 830km of signalled track with the balance of the network under Train Order working. There are a variety of track ratings with a mix of 16 and 19 tonne axle loading in the grain region, to 20.5 tonne axle loading in the South West region (all Narrow gauge) and a mix of 23 and 24 tonne axle loading on the standard gauge network.
Queensland
In Queensland, ARG operate on the Townsville to Mt Isa corridor which services the North West Queensland Minerals Province, running from the Port of Townsville to Mount Isa over more than 1000km of track (including the Phosphate Hill Branch). A large majority of traffic in the system is mining related, particularly minerals and fertiliser. There are 44 crossing loops provided between Stuart and Mount Isa and 2 crossing loops provided between Flynn and Phosphate Hill. The track is rated at 20 tonne axle load with a maximum speed of 80kph.
Global Positioning System (GPS) interfacing onboard Direct Traffic Control (DTC) allows communication with locomotive mounted Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
Train Management
ARG operate the Train Management cell from the Forrestfield depot providing 24/7 overview and support to ARG train services in Western Australia. Train Management are the central contact point for train crew to report general train running information, out of the ordinary events such as incidents and accidents, and play a key role in initiating emergency activities if required. The train management team are a well trained dedicated group who form the backbone of the WA operation.