The skills of a knowledgeable and dedicated local workforce has been attributed to the successful completion and quality workmanship behind Bowen Rail Company’s $62 million rail yard which employed a team of over 300 during its construction phase.
Nine hundred and fifty-seven drainage elements and 28 footy fields of earthworks later and Bowen business, Hillery Group, has put the finishing touches on the local rail provisioning yard.
Its Chief Executive Office, Luke Hillery, said that winning the $20 million contract as part of the overall project was enormous for his business and the community and the benefits would be felt long into the future.
“We see the value that Bowen Rail Company is bringing to the Bowen area on a daily basis,” he said.
“So to win a contract of this size and then deliver it using local people with local skills is something we’re really proud of.”
The project was undertaken as part of the construction of the Carmichael Rail Network under the banner of Bravus Mining and Resources’ Carmichael Project.
Bowen Rail General Manager Brendan Lane said the rail yard was a shining example of the capability of regional contractors and how BRC was delivering on its promises of jobs and contracts for locals.
“The provisioning yard is a critical piece of infrastructure for us,” Mr Lane said.
“This is where our maintenance crews are based and where our state-of-the-art locomotives take on fuel and the sand, oils, and lubricants that keep our trains operating safely.”
An aerial view of Bowen Rail Company’s provisioning yard