The Mount Isa Line is 1030kms of track which extends from Stuart (near Townsville) to Mount Isa and includes the Phosphate Hill branch. The line services a number of communities along the line through passenger transport, the conveyance of general freight and remains a major employer along the corridor. The line is the critical link from the North West Minerals Province to the Port of Townsville where the majority of bulk products are exported.
The Mount Isa Line is of particular national interest as it runs along some of the world’s largest deposits of copper, lead, zinc, silver and phosphate rock. The region surrounding the Mount Isa Line produces 75% of Queensland’s non-coal mineral output. As a result of strong international demand for commodities, exploration in the North West Minerals Province has increased significantly in recent years.
Last year we helped our customers rail 5.8 million tonnes of product on the Mount Isa Corridor. This supported mineral production of $6.67 billion in the region. We are now working on plans to help our customers rail more than 40 million tonnes each year. Queensland Rail remains committed to facilitating the transport of the forecast tonnage on the Mount Isa Line to suit the needs of our customers
Queensland Rail is proud to release the Mount Isa Line Rail Infrastructure Master Plan 2012. We have undertaken significant analysis to develop potential growth scenarios and to provide a broad vision of the rail infrastructure required to underpin the forecast growth.
We will continue to deliver capacity enhancements for future projects provided that contracted tonnages:
- are sufficient to justify the necessary capital investment on commercial terms; and
- adequate notice is given from the time of contracting capacity to deliver the required enhancements.
We encourage rail operators, mining companies and/or processors to engage with Queensland Rail at the earliest possible opportunity.
A copy of the Mount Isa Line Rail Infrastructure Master Plan 2012 can be 
downloaded here (PDF, 1MB).