A rail link to one of Queensland's major mining regions has been cut by a train crash that has forced bulk ore shipments onto the highway.
With the line closed, mining operators turned to road trains to freight products via the Flinders Highway.
Treagar MP Robbie Katter said he was concerned by an increase of trucks on the infamous stretch of road."There will be tonnes of bulk ore on that road which should be on the tracks.""Now you're adding more volume in the form of road trains and trucks," he said.The line stretches from the North West Minerals Province to ports on the coast.
"We had a win when, in 2016, the state government announced an investment of $25 million into the rail line to replace 41 kilometres of steel sleepers with concrete between Richmond and Julia Creek," he said. The government had also promised a further $379 million in capital upgrades and maintenance to be delivered over the next five years.He said driver competency was also an issue.
"There's been a number of new operators over the years and there's a training facility for drivers near Cloncurry," he said.Queensland Rail confirmed it had launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
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