A coal train in Australia's Queensland state derailed after it hit a freight train late on Sunday night, haulage operator Aurizon Holdings said on Monday.
The accident, which did not result in any injuries, derailed some container wagons, damaged the train track and overhead power lines, it said in a statement to Reuters.
As a result, the rail corridor between the towns of Rockhampton and Gladstone, which carries coal from the state's Bowen Basin, will be closed until the line can be repaired, Aurizon said.
It was unclear how long repairs would take.
Australia is the world's top exporter of metallurgical coal, mostly excavated from the Bowen Basin, shipping out some 170 million tonnes a year. The port of Gladstone exported 62 million tonnes of coal last year of which 30% was thermal coal according to government and port figures.
"At approximately 715pm last night (29 Jan)...there was an incident involving an Aurizon coal train and Pacific National freight train," Aurizon said in a statement.
"Rail safety officers from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) were on site today to commence the investigation. Recovery work will not commence until ONRSR releases the site."
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Kim Coghill)
