GAP line

[1] The Bowen Basin is today recognised as the largest coal resource in Australia, but its relative remoteness resulted in a lack of priority for a line that would facilitate development of the coalfield.

A 7.6 km private tramway (built to QR standard) junctioning from just south of the Collinsville railway station connected to the Scottsville mine opened in the same year, and also served the cattle yards.

The original Collinsville section was rebuilt at the same time and the Scottville line was replaced by a new alignment, the terminal called McNaugton in honour of a former mine manager.

The Abbot Point to Newlands section now features 53 kg/m rail on concrete sleepers, a 20 tonne axle load, a 1 in 50 (2%) maximum grade and 240 m minimum radius curves.

A review by Aurizon, the private operator of the line, indicates that electrification could be justified if tonnage reaches 70-80Mtpa, current haulage being ~50M tonnes per annum.