As part of the Mcmahon Leighton Joint Venture, Leighton Contractors has been awarded a contract to develop BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s Rapid Growth Project 5 rail project (RGP5) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Under the contract, BHP Billiton Iron Ore will supply materials to the project which the joint venture will handle as part of the works. The 50/50 joint venture will duplicate 220km of the existing heavy haul rail line between Port Hedland and Shaw Siding along the existing BHP Billiton Iron Ore Newman/Yandi line, providing BHP Billiton Iron Ore with a mechanism to meet anticipated increasing overseas demand for iron ore.

The project scope also includes the installation of 840km of fibre optic cable and the construction of 10 new dual track bridges, over 1,000 camp rooms (complete with kitchens, laundries, gymnasiums and a pool) and up to three fly camps. The joint venture is expected to employ more than 1,100 workers over the life of the project and will encourage a high level of indigenous participation. The project will be delivered by Leighton Contractors Western Region Construction and supported by the Leighton Contractors National Rail Group, Ngarda Civil & Mining and Visionstream (all subsidiaries of Leighton Contractors) together with MVM Rail, a subsidiary of Macmahon.