Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd., on June 18, 2025, commenced a feasibility study to develop a railway to connect its 100-per-cent-owned Korella North mine and its planned phosphate export facility to the port of Karumba.
The RailPhos project connecting the Korella North mine, northwestern Queensland, to the port of Karumba involves the construction of the long-mooted Cloncurry to Normanton rail line with a further extension to Karumba.
The feasibility study is led by Australia-based executive director Colin Randall and, as at Sept. 8, has further progressed as outlined below:
An invitation has been sent to selected parties to become a 49-per-cent shareholder in the special-purpose vehicle established for RailPhos.The company has have identified and obtained contact details for all landholders on the railway’s proposed route.
Further contact has been made with landholders at the Cloncurry end of the railway.
Queensland Rail (QR) has recognized that the projected five million tonnes per annum of phosphate will be transported first on the existing QR rail system.A meeting has been arranged with QR for an on-site inspection of the QR rail infrastructure east of Cloncurry, which would be the starting point for the Cloncurry to port of Karumba railway.
RailPhos has joined the regional development group Gulf Savannah Development.
As previously announced, the company met in Cloncurry on Aug. 20 with visiting European Union delegates and gave a presentation on the advantages of Georgina basin phosphate and the key role RailPhos will have in providing a long-term efficient, and economical logistics solution for the supply of low-cadmium phosphate for the European phosphate market.The company has undertaken further reviews of earlier rail project feasibility studies — the Mount Isa to Tennant Creek rail project and Carpentaria rail project, Mount Isa to Karumba.
Mr. Randall has been invited to speak at three upcoming events. These include:
Participation in a panel discussion of logistics and phosphate at the meeting of the Mines Conference in Cloncurry on Friday, Sept. 12;
Participation at the inaugural Gougers & Spruikers event in Cloncurry on Saturday, Sept. 13; Delivering a presentation on the RailPhos project to the Townsville Summit Conference on Thursday, Oct. 9.
- An invitation has been sent to selected parties to become a 49-per-cent shareholder in the special-purpose vehicle established for RailPhos.
- The company has have identified and obtained contact details for all landholders on the railway’s proposed route.
- Further contact has been made with landholders at the Cloncurry end of the railway.
- Queensland Rail (QR) has recognized that the projected five million tonnes per annum of phosphate will be transported first on the existing QR rail system.
- A meeting has been arranged with QR for an on-site inspection of the QR rail infrastructure east of Cloncurry, which would be the starting point for the Cloncurry to port of Karumba railway.
- RailPhos has joined the regional development group Gulf Savannah Development.
- As previously announced, the company met in Cloncurry on Aug. 20 with visiting European Union delegates and gave a presentation on the advantages of Georgina basin phosphate and the key role RailPhos will have in providing a long-term efficient, and economical logistics solution for the supply of low-cadmium phosphate for the European phosphate market.
- The company has undertaken further reviews of earlier rail project feasibility studies — the Mount Isa to Tennant Creek rail project and Carpentaria rail project, Mount Isa to Karumba.
- Mr. Randall has been invited to speak at three upcoming events. These include: Participation in a panel discussion of logistics and phosphate at the meeting of the Mines Conference in Cloncurry on Friday, Sept. 12; Participation at the inaugural Gougers & Spruikers event in Cloncurry on Saturday, Sept. 13; Delivering a presentation on the RailPhos project to the Townsville Summit Conference on Thursday, Oct. 9.
- Participation in a panel discussion of logistics and phosphate at the meeting of the Mines Conference in Cloncurry on Friday, Sept. 12;
- Participation at the inaugural Gougers & Spruikers event in Cloncurry on Saturday, Sept. 13;
- Delivering a presentation on the RailPhos project to the Townsville Summit Conference on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The project continues to attract significant media interest and the company will be providing regular progress reports.
