Under the contract, Ansaldo STS, a Finmeccanica company, will deliver the first two phases of a staged signalling and telecommunications systems for the Roy Hill mine’s 342km heavy haul rail line in Western Australia’s northwest, through its subsidiary Ansaldo STS Australia.

“We are very proud of the technology we have provided to our customer Roy Hill,” Ansaldo STS chief executive officer Sergio De Luca said.

“And of the innovative solution we have developed which reinforces our company’s position as a world leader in the technology field.”

Ansaldo STS Australia says its communication-based signalling solution has been designed in synergy with the Roy Hill mine’s phased requirements to direct heavy rail traffic and sets a new benchmark for operational flexibility and upgradability for heavy haulage mining railways.

The signalling solution offered by Ansaldo STS is technically significant for the global rail industry as it involves centralised routing and automatic train protection with satellite positioning.

The solution is the result of the integration of Ansaldo’s technical skills and its existing products which the company said would raise the bar for railway signalling systems.

Ansaldo says the system offers major advantages in terms of increased availability, quality and safety.

The Roy Hill mine is expected to have an iron ore output of 55 million tonnes per annum.

Designed to meet the mine’s projected output, the signalling and communications solution will also enable Roy Hill to integrate and upgrade to automated heavy haul operations if required in the future.

This story first appeared on ILN's sister publication MiningNews.net.