Wabtec FLXDrive Locomotives Pass Year-Long BHP Pilbara Trial — SkimNews
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- BHP's two Wabtec FLXDrive locomotives have spent nearly a year on a dedicated track line between the Jimblebar iron ore mine and Port Hedland in Australia's Pilbara, with the source declaring the 4,400 hp battery-electric units ready for prime time.
- Each Wabtec FLXDrive carries a 7 MWh battery pack and uses regenerative braking to recapture energy on downhill runs — and on some loaded downhill runs the system can generate enough power to send the unladen train back uphill without recharging.
- Unlike conventional trains that haul up to 35,000 tonnes of ore using diesel engines as electrical generators, the FLXDrive draws power exclusively from its onboard batteries.
- BHP announced plans to add two Progress Rail battery-electric locomotives, delivered to Perth in FY2026 and slated for commissioning and testing at Port Hedland in FY2027.
- Once both fleets are running, BHP expects to be one of the first mining companies globally to conduct side-by-side evaluations of battery-electric heavy-haul locomotive technologies from two separate suppliers within the same operating environment.
- Wabtec Regional SVP Peter Thomas (ANZ & SEA) framed the Pilbara deployment as the kind of innovation "needed to keep the region firing" and a step toward decarbonising rail operations.
Why it matters: BHP is positioning itself as one of the first mining companies globally to run head-to-head trials of battery-electric heavy-haul locomotives from two competing suppliers — Wabtec and Progress Rail — in identical Pilbara conditions. The economics hinge on whether 7 MWh battery packs and regenerative braking can power 35,000-tonne ore trains back uphill without recharging.
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