PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government and lithium miner Talison Lithium will each contribute A$3.3-million towards investigating the recommissioning of the Greenbushes to Bunbury railway line.

The state government said on Friday that the investigation would build on a previous high-level feasibility study that was completed in 2020.

Talison Lithium will work with rail network manager Arc Infrastructure and the state government on a detailed assessment of the engineering requirements to bring the railway line back into operation.  

There will also be a substantial community impact assessment, recognising that trains have not been seen on this line for over 15 years.

Around 1.5-million tonnes of lithium mineral concentrate are currently moved between Talison’s Greenbushes lithium operation and Bunbury each year, equating to around 135 daily truck movements on the South Western Highway.

Over the next five years, the amount of lithium mineral concentrate moved by road from Greenbushes is expected to grow to 2.1-million tonnes each year, equating to more than 70 000 truck movements each year.

Recommissioning the Greenbushes train line and moving the lithium mineral concentrate by train would remove approximately 200 trucks movements from South Western Highway each day.

The study is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024. Study findings will determine the cost of reinstatement of the track, level crossings and new terminal facilities in the Greenbushes and Bunbury areas, and a joint Talison Lithium/Arc Infrastructure/government funding proposition.  

“In 2020 our government, Talison Lithium and Arc began the process of investigating the recommissioning of the Greenbushes railway line, by undertaking a high-level feasibility study,” said Regional Development Minister Don Punch.

“This new study recognises the significant production increases and bright future for lithium projects in the South-West, as well as the potential to reduce the use of the region's roads by heavy trucking. 

“A recommissioned Bunbury-Greenbushes rail link would also provide the impetus for greater use of the broader rail freight network linking the region with Perth.”