The Townsville to Mount Isa rail line remains closed following a derailment of a mineral freight train on Friday afternoon. Queensland Rail (QR) confirmed that one locomotive ended up on its side, while two others left the track but remained upright. A single wagon also derailed but stayed upright.

The incident occurred at Warrigal, located between Pentland and Torrens Creek, around 1pm. The train, operated by Qube Holdings, was transporting zinc and copper from Mount Isa. Emergency services, including State Emergency Service volunteers, were dispatched in case of a major fuel spill, though no such issue was reported.

Freight and passenger services along the line were suspended over the weekend, and QR has advised that weekend Inlander passenger services will be replaced by buses. Track assessments are ongoing as authorities develop a recovery plan.

QR head of regional operations Scott Cornish said:

"Emergency services arrived onsite soon after. Thankfully no injuries were reported. Queensland Rail will work with the third-party operator to confirm a recovery plan once inspections are completed."

Qube Holdings added:

"Recovery efforts are continuing at the site, and we are naturally working with relevant agencies to support investigations into the cause of the incident."

Image: Qube Holdings