The coal business of the company, QRNational Coal, said it would support the contract by investing $A190 million in locomotives and wagons but did not reveal the value of the haulage deal.

"We are pleased to extend our relationship with this growing company and win business against a competitor with more than 20 years experience in the Hunter Valley," QR’s executive general manager of coal Marcus McAuliffe said in reference to the region’s dominant rail operator, Asciano subsidiary Pacific National.

This contract follows an 11-year haulage deal QR struck early this month with Peabody Energy Australia for the delivery of up to 12Mtpa from the Wambo and Wilpinjong mines to Newcastle’s port from 2010.

Meanwhile, a recent QR haulage contract with Felix’s Minerva open cut mine in Queensland has caused Asciano to make a submission to the Queensland Competition Authority.

According to the Australian Financial Review, QR cut rail tariffs on the Blackwater rail system to out-compete Pacific National and win an 11-year haulage contract for the mine.

The newspaper reported the rail tariff was cut from $5.67 per net tonne to $4.60/t, a move seen by Asciano as anti-competitive as QR is the monopoly track provider.

In June, the Queensland government flagged the sale of Queensland Rail’s coal haulage business and the Abbot Point Coal Terminal as part of an asset sell-off to help balance the state’s finances.

Felix is preparing to start open cut mining at the prospective 13Mtpa Moolarben operation in September, with the first shipment planned for March 2010.