Bowen Rail Company leads the RACE with tech innovation

Bowen Rail Company’s (BRC) RACE Live will be showcased as an example of excellence in innovation at the 2024 Australasian Rail Industry Awards.

RACE Live was developed in partnership with Brisbane-based software developer Polymathian to improve safety and productivity when railing coal from the Queensland Carmichael mine to port for export.

BRC general manager Brendan Lane says RACE Live’s shortlisting as a finalist in the Freight Rail Excellence category at the rail industry’s national awards reflects the company’s commitment to continuous innovation and improvement.

“Our aim since establishing our business in Bowen in North Queensland in 2020 has been to do things a little differently to advance the safety, environmental and economic standards of the rail industry,” he said.

“We’ve invested in the best available technology like our next generation rail fleet.

“RACE Live is another step on this path to create clever solutions by harnessing the skills and knowledge available right here in Queensland.

“RACE Live’s real-time visibility means our schedulers can anticipate potential disruptions or changes in the supply chain before they occur, allowing them to work with train crews and other internal and external stakeholders to make proactive decisions to mitigate risks, adjust train schedules, or allocate resources accordingly.

“The benefit is best demonstrated by the industry-leading 98% service reliability we achieved on more than 1,600 train services in our last financial year, all of which means lower costs per tonne hauled for our customer, Bravus Mining and Resources.

“We started work on RACE Live in 2020 and have continued to enhance it as the business has grown so to see it completed and performing is great reward for the team and to be recognised in the Australasian Rail Industry Awards is the icing on the cake.”

The Australasian Rail Industry Awards will be presented in Sydney on 7 August.