A major mining company with operations across Central and West Africa approached Railcor through its appointed rail and engineering consultants. These regions are remote, and the local railway authorities responsible for corridor management often operate with minimal or no maintenance budgets, resulting in inconsistent upkeep, unreliable access to specialised equipment, and limited capacity to support heavy-haul export operations.

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To ensure the long-term reliability of the dedicated rail corridors that move its ore to port, the mine sought a sustainable, high-performance maintenance solution that does not rely on under-resourced authorities.

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The Enquiry

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The consultants, acting for the mine, highlighted several concerns:

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·         Growing maintenance requirements as export volumes increase

·         Limited availability of specialised mechanised equipment in remote regions

·         Operational downtime caused by infrastructure backlogs

·         High capital burden associated with acquiring a fully dedicated machine fleet

·         The need for predictable, high-quality maintenance to support production

·         Pressure to modernise maintenance programs in line with heavy-haul best practices

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They asked Railcor to propose an innovative and commercially efficient model to guarantee long-term access to maintenance equipment and skilled technical teams.

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Railcor’s Proposed Solution:

Co-Ownership + Full Maintain-and-Operate Model

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Railcor responded with a co-ownership framework tailored to the mine’s corridor requirements.

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Key Components of the Proposal

• Joint Investment in Specialised Maintenance Equipment

 

Railcor and the mine would co-invest in a fleet of essential on-track machines—tampers, stabilisers, ballast regulators, inspection vehicles, and other mechanised assets.

• Railcor to Maintain and Operate the Fleet

Railcor’s mechanised division would deliver:

• Technical operation by trained crews

• Preventative and scheduled maintenance

• Full workshop refurbishment and parts management

• Certification, compliance, and safety oversight

• Asset utilisation reporting and performance optimisation

• Guaranteed Corridor Availability

The mine secures continuous access to modern, reliable equipment dedicated to its corridor—without bearing the full capital cost.

• Predictable Long-Term Maintenance Costs

The shared investment structure smooths budget pressures and provides transparency over long-term maintenance expenditure.

• Aligned Interests Through Shared Ownership

Co-ownership ensures both the mine and Railcor are jointly incentivised to maximise uptime, asset life, and corridor performance.

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Outcome & Strategic Value

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The consultants recognised that Railcor’s solution provides significant benefits for operations in Central and West Africa:

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• Stable availability of critical maintenance plant

• Reduced network downtime and enhanced corridor reliability

• Heavy-haul compliant maintenance supported by global best practice

• Shared financial and operational risk

• Direct access to Railcor’s technical, operational, and workshop competencies

• A scalable, long-term platform for mine and corridor expansion

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The mine is evaluating the co-ownership model as a strategic solution to mitigate regional infrastructure weaknesses and ensure export continuity.

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Conclusion

This enquiry illustrates how Railcor’s co-ownership and maintain-and-operate model offers mining companies in remote African regions a powerful, capital-efficient strategy to secure consistent, high-quality maintenance capability. By aligning long-term interests and reducing dependency on under-resourced authorities, the model strengthens the reliability of export corridors and supports sustainable operational growth.