Heavy haul at the cutting edge.(COMMENT)

Later this month delegates from around the world will be converging on Shanghai for the 9th International Heavy Haul conference (p35). The three days of seminars will be followed by a technical visit to the Datong - Qinhuangdao line, which is amongst the busiest coal railways in the world.

The first heavy haul conference was organised in Perth in 1978 by engineers working on Western Australia's Pilbara iron ore lines, leading to the establishment of the International Heavy Haul Association five years later. Over the years, the number of countries represented has risen steadily, and IHHA now has 10 full members as far apart as Brazil, Norway, China and Australia.

For more than 30 years the heavy haul railways have been at the forefront of technical research into a great many aspects of railway operation - from the life of track components, through vehicle dynamics and ride quality to traction and energy consumption. Much of this work has also proved to be of benefit to railway operators and infrastructure managers in other parts of the rail sector.

The primary drivers throughout this period have been financial, with operators large and small looking to push costs down, and performance up, increasing their productivity and competitiveness. With heavy haul railways handling upwards of 100 million tonnes of coal or iron ore a year over long distances, even a fraction of a cent per tonne-km can translate into large sums on the bottom line. Many of the heavy haul railways are either owned by or closely tied to their customers in the mining industry, and productivity of the transport chain has a direct impact on their competitiveness in the world markets.

It is a two-way relationship, as a competitive price brings more business and more traffic to the railway, whilst an inefficient haul reduces the ability of the mining groups to sell. At a time of fierce competition, particularly in the iron ore and coal markets, the demand for efficiency remains as strong as ever. Amongst current areas of research are energy saving through better driving techniques, including automation, and continuing investigations into rail life under axleloads up to 40 tonnes.

The global economic crisis triggered by a loss of confidence after last year's financial crunch saw an immediate downturn in the demand for primary resources. Investment projects ...